


twelve hours

by callistawolf



Category: Arrow (TV 2012)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternative Universe - No Island, Anal Fingering, Anal Sex, Angst, Betrayal, Boss/Employee Relationship, Burgers in Limos, Consensual Infidelity, Dominance, F/M, Formalwear, Happy Ending, Manipulation, Messy, Oral Sex, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Pregnancy, Romance, Semi-Public Sex, Shameless Smut, Smut, The Angst Has Arrived, Themes of prostitution, Unhealthy Relationships, Unplanned Pregnancy, Vaginal Fingering, charity galas, inspired by the film Indecent Proposal, mentions of Cooper/Felicity
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-10-16
Updated: 2017-12-31
Packaged: 2019-01-18 02:00:20
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 15
Words: 84,307
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12378546
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/callistawolf/pseuds/callistawolf
Summary: Felicity Smoak has a plan for her life that includes living on the straight and narrow until she and her live-in boyfriend, Cooper Seldon, can finally begin their joint tech company like they've planned for years. She's content in her life, such as it is, until she meets the CEO of the company she works at one day. And then a series of events brings him further into her life and relationship with Cooper. All it takes is twelve hours to throw everything into question and Felicity's neat, ordered life isn't so neat and ordered anymore.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This fic is going to come with some rather heavy and pointed warnings. I want to start off by saying that this story is not for everyone. If the notion of infidelity, even that which is consented to by all the parties involved, is a problem for you, then I would suggest you skip this story. Another item of note: the characters in this story are messy. They are not idealized versions of themselves. If anything, they are far messier than they are in canon. Felicity, as the primary POV character, has a lot of issues that she choses not to recognize. Those issues inform a lot of her decisions and feelings about things. They also inform what she chooses to see and not see. Please keep that in mind. I wrote her this way for a reason and I was very interested at playing with this version of her. I hope you are interested to read it. 
> 
> I will add tags as needed as things progress but if you need me to tag for anything at any point, please let me know and I will be happy to do so. For those of you who join me in this story, if you can keep an open mind, I hope you will pleased with how everything is told. I've had this idea in my head for over a year now, unsure about writing it, but thanks to some lovely friends on Twitter, I've been encouraged to write, finish and post it. 
> 
> Yes, this story is finished. But I will not be posting daily. For the time being, I will post Mondays and Wednesdays. I may cut back to once a week on Wednesdays, it really depends on my schedule in the coming weeks. While the story is all written (all fifteen chapters of it!), I do need to edit it and that's often what takes the most time for me.
> 
> Thanks for reading, if you choose to read on, and let me know what you think in the comments! Credit for that beautiful poster goes the amazing @lexiblackbriar!

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Felicity meets the CEO of Queen Consolidated and… is he flirting with her?

 

 

Felicity Smoak sat at her desk in her tiny cubicle, sorting through the stack of paperwork on her desk and trying to find that one memo that her “superior”, Kent Moss, had been hassling her about all morning long. 

“Where is that damned thing?” she muttered to herself, moving one stack of papers to the other side of her desk so she could widen her search.]

“What are you looking for?” a friendly voice over her shoulder asked. Felicity glanced around to see her good friend, Curtis Holt, poking his head out of a neighboring cubicle.

“That memo that Moss sent me yesterday. I know it’s here somewhere,” she grumbled as she continued to sift. 

Drudgery. That’s all this work was. Nonsense to fill her day with so she could earn a paycheck at the end of each week. Every day was the same thing; remove viruses from executives computers, wrestle with printers, coordinate software updates, monitor the company’s network security. Rinse, repeat. 

Felicity had to remind herself that at least she had this crappy, dead-end job. At least she wasn’t stuck at Tech Village… like Cooper was. Queen Consolidated was a lot nicer place to work on a daily basis and while Kent Moss was a slimy toad of a human, at least she had health insurance and vacation days and a retirement account. 

Her boyfriend of seven years, Cooper Seldon, wasn’t as fortunate. But it was his own fault, really. He insisted his skills were wasted in Tech Village, but was bound for greater things than just being a corporate IT grunt and he wouldn’t compromise his integrity. She understood that… a part of her soul had faded the day she’d signed the paperwork on this job at QC. She’d gone to MIT at the age of 16 and had graduated with dual masters degrees in Computer Sciences and Cyber Security. She was a certified genius who had written a program that could hack the federal database of student loans. Sure, she hadn’t wanted to actually _use_ it, but she _could have_ and that was the important thing. 

She _was_ wasting away here at Queen Consolidated. But she took the job because they needed it. Tech Village, where she used to work with Cooper, didn’t pay a whole lot and rent in Starling City was expensive. Plus, she and Coop were trying to save up. They had big plans for their future, plans that involved a tech startup of their very own. But they needed money to make that dream come true. One of them had to compromise their standards and it just so happened to be her. If she’d left it up to Cooper to get the corporate gig, they’d be getting evicted from a one-room dump in the Glades, eating ramen every night. 

“Ah ha!” Felicity finally located the errant memo under a purchase order from last week. Feeling the flush of (minor) success, she sat back in her chair and fanned it over her face. 

Her victory was interrupted by the jangling of the phone on her desk. The number lit up was Moss’ phone and Felicity groaned. As she lifted the receiver and pressed the flashing button, she wondered what soul-sucking errand her boss wanted to send her on _this_ time. 

“Felicity Smoak’s desk,” she greeted. 

“Felicity, I need you to go up to the 37 th floor, CEO’s office, right away,” Moss said. 

She blinked. “Uh, okay.” Normally, Moss took all the VP and CEO calls himself, liking to put himself out there to the brass. “What’s the call?”

“Mr. Queen is having difficulty retrieving information off his desk computer. I would do this myself, but I have a meeting with Abrams in five minutes.”

Ah, there it was. There was no way Moss could duck out on a meeting with the VP of Technology; Kyle Abrams was the man’s boss and there was no chance that Moss would miss a chance to kiss his ass. 

“I’ll head on up,” Felicity said and then hung up before he could say anything else. 

“Where are you off to?” Curtis asked as she put her computer into sleep mode. 

“The 37 th floor. Apparently our CEO needs some assistance.”

“And Moss is letting you handle the call instead of personally?” her friend whistled appreciatively.

“I’m sure it pained him greatly to have to pass up the chance to brown-nose the big boss in person,” she remarked.

“Have fun. Don’t let those blue eyes draw you in like they have every other female with a pulse in this building,” Curtis teased. 

“You say that like you haven’t lusted over him a little yourself,” she teased. 

Curtis tried to look offended. “I am a married man, Felicity. Why would I want that hunk of billionaire beefcake when I have _Paul_??”

Felicity chuckled.“Why indeed?” 

Grinning at her friend, she got up from her desk, grabbing her tablet and making sure her employee badge was around her neck. She couldn’t get access to the executive elevator without it. She smoothed the fabric of her pencil skirt as she walked through the cubicle farm that was the IT Department. Her heels clacked on the tile floors but no one looked up, everyone embroiled in their own work for the day. Fluorescents flickered overhead and cast a pallor over all the hunched IT workers. She fought a shudder as she hurried to the elevator. 

She slipped her ID into the card slot in the executive elevator and then punched the number for the 37 th floor as the doors slid shut. She’d been to other executive offices in the year since she’d been working at QC, but never to the CEO’s. She knew about the company’s young and handsome scion, the billionaire heir to the Queen family fortune who’d stepped up after the death of his parents. A person couldn’t live in Starling City without seeing the scruffed jaw of Oliver Queen on the cover of local magazines and in newspapers and on the evening news on a regular basis. 

But she’d never met him. She’d never ran into him at the coffee cart in the lobby of the QC building. She’d never even seen him being ushered into a chauffeured vehicle out front. Then again, it wasn’t as though she’d been looking. Felicity had other things to do and other things on her mind beyond some rich guy who owned the building she worked in. 

Still, she wasn’t prepared for how striking the man looked in person. As soon as his assistant saw her as she stepped off the elevator, Felicity was waved through to his office, where she was expected. The office was encased in glass walls, floor to ceiling and Oliver Queen sat behind a massive wooden desk that commanded the room like a captain commands the deck of his ship. He was reading something, not looking up, so Felicity rapped on the glass door as she entered to announce herself. 

“Mr. Queen?” His head snapped up, his eyes instantly sharp on her. “Hi, I’m Felicity Smoak. They sent me up from IT to look at your computer?”

Recognition lit his eyes and in a moment, he was on his feet, coming around the desk. “Of course, Ms. Smoak. It’s usually a Mr. Moss who comes up when I call for tech assistance.”

Felicity struggled to keep the grimace off her face but wasn’t sure if she succeeded. “That would be my boss. He was busy so he sent me instead.”

Oliver Queen’s smile was warm and enigmatic as he took her hand in his. It wasn’t quite a handshake; more a gentle squeezing of her fingers with his rougher ones. Felicity could swear she felt electricity shoot up her arm, clear to her shoulder. 

“I’m glad he did. You’re quite a bit more attractive than he is.”

While she could see that he was joking, his flirtation reminded her that this man was a notorious womanizer. Felicity had never been one to care about accommodating the “male gaze”, particularly as hard as she’s worked to get her degree in STEM and be taken seriously as a contemporary. She pulled until his released her hand. 

“Yes, well. I’m here to do a job. You’re having trouble getting information off of your desk computer?”

Mr. Queen looked positively intrigued by her sudden brush-off of his flirtations, a smile flirting around the edges of his mouth. He gestured over to his desk where the computer sat. “Yes, I have a proposal on there that I need to print out before a board meeting later this afternoon but when I go to pull it up, I get a message saying the file is not found.” 

Nodding sharply, Felicity moved past him to his desk chair, aware of his eyes following her every move. _Focus, Felicity. Don’t pay him any attention._. She sat in his chair and brought up the file finger program. “What’s the file called?” she asked him. 

Oliver joined her behind the desk and she felt him lean over the back of her chair, one hand braced on the back of the chair and the other on the desk. She could feel his breath on the side of her face as he told her the filename. Felicity forced her attention away from him, _again_ , as she searched for the file. 

Sure enough, she couldn’t find it on the hard drive. 

“When was the last time you accessed it?” she asked him. 

“I was working on it last night. Here, in the office.”

Felicity’s fingers stilled on the keyboard. “Where else have you accessed the file from?”

“My laptop, at home. I was working on it over the weekend.”

It made perfect sense and she was a little embarrassed that she hadn’t thought of the solution right off the bat. She supposed she could hardly fault Mr. Queen for missing it. She did a little searching and… 

“Ah ha! There it is!” she cried. “It was saved on the network drive, not on the hard drive.”

“What?” he asked and she turned towards him to explain, only to find his face an inch or two away from hers. His bright blue eyes captivated hers, holding her attention and the draw to him was so powerful that Felicity found herself momentarily swaying towards him before she caught herself and moved back. 

One of Oliver’s eyebrows lifted in an almost sardonic expression and she saw him glance down at her lips. Flustered, Felicity turned her attention back to the computer. “It means you saved the file on the cloud drive, but were looking for it on the computer’s hard disk. Which, of course, it wasn’t there because it’s on the cloud.”

“The cloud?” he said and she glanced to see a line between his eyebrows. He was genuinely confused. That made her grin. 

“It’s just what it’s called. It’s a drive you can access from anywhere you have an internet connection. Including here and at your home.”

“I know what the cloud is, Ms. Smoak,” he said, caressing the syllables of her name like he was seeing how they tasted. Felicity felt another flush warming her cheeks. “I was just curious how it got there.”

“My guess is it’s a new default setting pushed out to the company network. The IT department probably sent you a memo about it but you could have missed it.”

“Ah, I suppose that makes some sense. I should really pay more attention to my memos.” His blue eyes glittered as he grinned at her. God, he was gorgeous. She had to get ahold of herself. 

“Anyhow, here’s the file. Ready for you to print out.” 

“I’m forever in your debt, Ms. Smoak,” he said warmly, smiling and the expression was so engaging that she found herself smiling back. 

“I was just doing my job,” Felicity said, pushing back from the desk and standing up. Oliver stepped back to allow her to stand but stayed near, clearly wanting to extend their encounter. She cleared her throat. “Speaking of which, I should probably get back to my desk.”

“So soon?” he said, with a little pout. “Maybe I could get you to take a look at my phone. It’s been acting up lately.”

Felicity saw what he was doing and knew it was an excuse. But… truth be told, she kind of liked being in his presence. There was something about him that made her feel special, interesting and appreciated. So she smirked at him and held out her hand. “Let’s see it then.”

Oliver smirked back as he pulled his phone out of his trousers pocket and placed it in her hand. “It’s been behaving strangely.”

“For how long?” she asked, thumbing the screen on and then presenting it to him for his thumbprint identification. 

He obliged, pressing his thumb to the screen to unlock the device. “For a while now.”

Everything looked in order as she scrolled through the pages of apps. “I’m not seeing what’s wrong here… there’s no error messages and everything seems to be working fine. Can you describe what the issue is?”

Felicity looked up and saw he was still smirking at her. “Yeah, uh… it’s missing something… here, let me see it a moment.”

He took the phone from her and opened an app, handing it back to her. 

She drew her eyebrows together as she looked at the screen. But it was… the contacts app. “I don’t understand…?”

“It’s missing your phone number,” he told her, leaning close to whisper it conspiratorially. When Felicity looked up sharply, he smiled, taking the edge off the moment. 

If she’d been imagining he was flirting before, such a notion was swiftly dispelled now. “I—I have a boyfriend,” she stammered. It wasn’t that she regretted that fact, she loved Cooper, but there was no doubt that if she wasn’t dating someone, and he wasn’t her _boss_ , and Oliver freaking QUEEN flirted with her, she would have welcomed that attention with open arms. 

But he just raised an eyebrow. “Is that so? What’s his name?”

Felicity felt her ire raise. Was he insinuating she just made up a boyfriend? “His name is Cooper. We’ve been together since college.”

“I see,” he replied, sounding speculative. “I don’t mean to step on his toes.”

Okay, maybe he _hadn’t_ been insinuating. She blushed, feeling the heat rise to her cheeks immediately. “You didn’t. I don’t know why I said that.”

“Because I was flirting with you.”

Now it felt as though her cheeks were going to catch on fire. “I flirted back a little.”

“You did?” he asked. “How did I miss that?”

His wink told her he was teasing and she resisted the urge to smack his arm. “Don’t be mean.”

“Sorry, I’ll refrain from remarking on your sub-par flirting skills in the future, Ms. Smoak.”

“Thank you, Mr. Queen.” Felicity couldn’t help but grin back at him. 

Oliver stepped aside and gestured towards the door to his office. “I won’t keep you any longer. If I need help in the future, I’ll call directly to your desk, bypass Mr. Moss entirely.”

She bit back a chuckle at that. “Good plan. I’m definitely more skilled than he is.” 

“I don’t doubt it.” 

Felicity walked out of his office and smiled to his assistant as she headed for the elevator. Riding back down to her floor, she couldn’t help but feel disappointed. She should be glad that Oliver pulled back so readily upon learning she had a boyfriend.And she was. But at the same time… she’d rather enjoyed his attentions. God help her, she _had_. 

When Felicity made it back to her cubicle, she noticed Curtis was gone. He must have gone to lunch already with his husband.No sooner had she sat in her chair than her cellphone started ringing. She generally left it in her purse while at work so she had to fish it out quickly before whoever it was gave up. A quick glance told her it was Cooper calling. She winced, feeling a sharp lance of guilt spear through her. 

“Hello?” she said, dropping into her office chair. 

“There you are! I’ve been trying to call for the last ten minutes.”

Felicity winced again. While she’d been flirting with her boss, her boyfriend was trying to call her. She felt like pond scum. 

“I’m sorry, I was on a call. Back at my desk now. What’s up?” she asked. Felicity checked the time on her desktop computer, noticing it was a quarter to noon. “Aren’t you at work?”

“I wanted to work on some coding today, so I called in,” Cooper explained. 

Felicity grit her teeth to keep from reminding him that the point was for them to earn money so they could _save_ money so they could finally start their business. They’d had this argument before; Cooper would always argue that they needed to have their code polished in order to start their business too. Felicity knew she could have that code whipped into shape in a weekend and that Cooper was probably spending his time playing Call of Duty online with his buddies. But… she wasn’t interested in that argument. Again. 

“Alright. So… what’s up?” she prompted again. 

“I wanted to know if you wanted to meet for lunch.”

Felicity thought of the salad that she’d brought, the one currently sitting in the break room refrigerator. But a lunch out with her boyfriend would be a lot more satisfying, there was no denying that. “Okay, where do you wanna meet?”

“Big Belly?”

“Sure. Meet you there in twenty.” 

Felicity hung up and pushed her final thoughts about Oliver Queen out of her mind as she packed up her desk and got ready to clock out for her lunch. A lunch with her loving boyfriend. 

***

Keeping Oliver Queen out of her thoughts ended up being easier than she expected. Despite his promise to call her up the next time he needed assistance, Felicity didn’t hear from him again over the next two months. Either he really didn’t have computer problems in that time or he’d lied to her just to be polite. 

Regardless, things went back to normal and Felicity put in her hours in the IT department and went home to Cooper every evening. Their savings was growing, but it wasn’t growing nearly as fast as she would have liked. She couldn’t complain about that, or about how dissatisfying she found her job, around Cooper. He’d defend the spending , saying they needed to have nice things because there was no sense in being miserable all the time. And he’d sneer at her decision to work for corporate fat cats. They fought about it constantly and Felicity kept quiet in the interest of keeping the peace. 

She was building up some resentment though, which she knew couldn’t be ignored forever. 

For tonight, however, she was trying to put all of that aside. It was the annual Queen Consolidated holiday party. QC held this party every year, roughly two weeks before. Christmas. Employees were strongly encouraged to attend with a plus one in tow. Cooper hated it, of course, but Felicity rather enjoyed the excuse to get dressed up. She had a black dress in her closet that she hadn’t gotten to wear yet; her mother had given it to her for her birthday months ago. Of course, that meant the dress was a few inches shorter than Felicity was comfortable with and hugged her curves so closely that virtually nothing was left to the imagination. But she knew she looked good in it and where else would she ever get the chance to wear it? 

Felicity had piled her hair on her head in a fancy updo and put on some glittering, dangling earrings and a silver necklace to go with the silver stiletto heels she wore. Festive, but not over the top. 

Cooper didn’t like her outfit, which surprised her. He griped about it the entire cab ride over to QC, muttering how everyone was going to stare at her all night long. He didn’t even tell her she looked beautiful. In fact, he’d fought her on putting on a tie and a sport coat to go with his jeans. 

_Let it go, Felicity_ , she coached herself. 

The entire ground floor lobby was set up for the party, with decorations and catering staff and music and dancing. It was a glittering affair and Felicity felt a little bad for Cooper. She knew a few people, those who worked with her in IT, but he knew no one but her. He stood off to the side, holding a glass of wine, looking sullen and uncomfortable. 

Felicity excused herself from the co-workers she’d been chatting with and took her own glass of wine over to where Cooper stood. 

“Pretty boring, huh?” she asked, nudging him with her shoulder. 

He smirked a little. “Look at all these phonies, trying to cozy up to their bosses so they’ll get promotions. What a bunch of sell outs.”

Felicity swallowed a mouthful of wine. _What does that make me?_ “Yeah,” she said, noncommittally as she forced a small laugh. 

“I guess this isn’t all that bad,” Cooper admitted. “Its good for a laugh, right?”

“Yeah… right,” she replied, her voice hollow to her own ears. 

“How do you even _work_ with these jerks? You should demand a raise, for hazard pay.” 

Felicity was about to change the subject, to get Cooper away from bashing all of her co-workers (which she knew might very well lead to him sneering at her and her choice to work there yet again) when they were interrupted. 

“Having a good time, I hope?” 

Felicity looked up, grateful to see none other than Oliver Queen standing before them. There was something in his smile, in the flinty hardness of his eyes as he looked at Cooper. He probably overheard what her boyfriend was saying. She felt her cheeks heat up in embarrassment. 

“Yes, we are,” Felicity replied, recovering. She gestured to Cooper. “Cooper, this is Oliver Queen, the CEO. Mr. Queen, this is Cooper Seldon, my boyfriend.”

Oliver held out his hand and Cooper looked suspiciously at it, like he feared it might catch flame, but he eventually shook it. 

“Very pleased to meet you, Mr. Seldon. Your girlfriend here is a treasure to this company and I hope you treat her as such,” Oliver said. Again, there was something knowing in his tone. _But he couldn’t know that. He couldn’t know the things Cooper said to her when they were alone._

“Nice to meet you too, Mr. Queen,” Cooper replied and insincerity dripped from his voice. “I was just telling Felicity that she works with some amazing people.”

She fought the urge to look at the ground. “Did you?” Oliver said. She looked up to see his blue eyes were focused on her. His hard look was much softer as he took in her expression. “I have to admit I think we have some great employees here at Queen Consolidated. We’re fairly choosy in our hiring process, you understand.”

A look crossed Cooper’s face, like he’d just swallowed worms. “Yes, I do.”

“We got lucky the day we hired on Ms. Smoak, however.” Oliver smiled at her, taking her hand and lifting it to his lips. He brushed a chaste and polite kiss over the backs of her knuckles, keeping his eyes on hers the entire time. 

“I’m sure you say that to all the IT grunts,” she said, teasing a little. 

Oliver’s eyes twinkles. “No, just you.”

He was flirting with her. Again. Much like he had when she first came to office three months ago. But… he’d _ignored_ her pretty plainly ever since then. What was this man playing at? Felicity fought the urge to gape at him and noticed Cooper giving him a hard look as well. She knew she’d probably hear about this later. 

Sure enough, on the drive home that evening, Cooper spent the entire time ranting to her about Oliver Queen. 

“That asshole, thinks he’s so much better than everyone. He was literally born with a silver spoon in his mouth. What has he done to deserve _anything_? Nothing. I don’t think he even graduated college. Don’t you remember years ago when his name was in all the tabloids? He’s as bad as they come, Felicity, believe me. That trust fund brat thinks he’s entitled to everything and every _one_. You saw the way he flirted with you? Right in front of me? It was like I wasn’t even there. You introduced me as your boyfriend and he still acted like that. I ought to hack his bank account and give all his money to Greenpeace.”

Felicity only half listened to him. A rant like this was nothing new from Cooper. No, what she found interesting was _why_ Oliver had flirted with her tonight. When he learned she had a boyfriend three months ago he had backed off considerably. But tonight, when he met him, he turned on the charm again? 

What gives? 

***

Everything was normal, more or less for about four days. Then, on Wednesday of the week following the holiday party, the Queen Consolidated servers were hacked. 

It happened right in the middle of the day, in Felicity’s estimation, the absolute worst time to orchestrate a hack of that scale. The IT department sprang into action, everyone pulled off their projects to combat the hack and shore up the security. The financial servers took the brunt of the skilled attack, requiring a swift response before accounts were able to be drained. Since network security was one of Felicity’s strong suits, she dove into the task with fervor, feeling for the first time since she’d gotten this job that her skills were being put to good use. 

With all hands on deck, the attack was fended off and the breach was secured in record time. Not a dollar was lost, which was a minor miracle. By the time five o’clock rolled around, the whole thing was over. And Felicity was being hailed as one of the heroes of the hour. Even her boss, the despicable Kent Moss, was singing her praises. As she packed up her desk for the day, she couldn’t wait to get home and tell Cooper about her great success at work. 

That thought had barely gelled in her mind when her cell phone rang in her purse. Felicity fished it out and blinked at the unfamiliar number flashing on the screen. She flicked her thumb across the screen, answering the call. 

“Hello?”

“Felicity! Thank god you answered your phone.” It was Cooper. 

“Cooper? What number are you calling from? I don’t recognize it?”

“I’m at the police station,” he replied. “I was arrested about an hour ago and brought in. They gave me one phone call and I called you. Please, you gotta come down here and bail me out. Tell them its all a big mistake. _Something_.”

She blinked as she sat down hard in her cubicle chair. “Why did you get arrested?” she asked. “What happened?”

“I have no idea. I was just sitting at home, playing Call of Duty with the guys online and next thing I know, the police are banging on our door, demanding that I open up, that they had a warrant for my arrest. I thought it was a good idea that I comply so here I am.Can you come?”

“I’m on my way,” Felicity said, getting back to her feet and grabbing her purse. She headed directly for the elevators. “Don’t say a word to anyone, you hear me? I’ll call a lawyer or something… just… Hang in there, Coop.”

“Hurry, babe.”

Felicity cursed as she rode the elevator to the basement and then hurried to the parking garage to fetch her Mini Cooper. She debated calling a lawyer right now but she really thought she should find out what the charges were first. Hopefully, Cooper could keep his mouth shut until she got there. 

With rush hour traffic winding up, it took Felicity far longer than she was comfortable with to make it the seven blocks to the downtown police precinct. She parked in the next door lot and hurried inside. The sergeant at the desk directed her to one of the interview rooms, where Cooper was waiting. She was advised that someone might be listening in. 

Swallowing hard, Felicity nodded and followed the officer who was leading her down the hall. He opened the door and gestured her in. She thanked him and stepped inside. The door closed and she focused on Cooper, sitting at a table, looking bored. 

“Finally! Can we get out of here now?” Cooper asked, perking up when he saw her. 

“Coop, you’re under arrest,” she explained, sitting down at the table across from him. “I can’t take you home until they release you or you’re let out on bail.”

“But it’s all just a big misunderstanding!” he protested. “I didn’t do anything.”

“What are the charges?” she asked.

“They say I’m wanted for hacking the Queen Consolidated servers.”

Felicity was speechless. She gaped at him and he winced a little. 

“I promise, babe, I didn’t do it.”

“Why were you home this afternoon?” she asked. “You had a shift from 1pm to 7pm today, didn’t you? Why weren’t you at work?”

He lifted a shoulder and dropped her gaze. “I don’t know. I just didn’t feel like going in today. My boss is being an asshole, I needed a day off from dealing with his bullshit.”

Felicity could feel a headache pressing in at her temples and fought the urge to rub them. “So you were at home, but you were just playing Call of Duty? Your friends can back you up on that?”

“Yeah,” he said, but he didn’t sound terribly convincing. Felicity sighed. She knew that Cooper could hack, it was how they _met_ at MIT, after all. Sure, she could hack rings around him but he did have some skill. And she’d be foolish to think that he couldn’t have perpetrated the attack she helped fend off that day. 

“Coop, did you do this?” she asked him seriously. 

“Felicity, how can you ask that?” he accused, his hazel eyes watery and hurt. 

“I just… I wanted to make sure,” she said, feeling a little small. “I want to trust you.”

“Then _trust_ me,” he said. “I didn’t do this.”

Her boyfriend might be many things, including lazy by her own opinion, but Felicity had never known Cooper to lie to her. She was very good at being able to tell when someone lied to her anyhow, and right now she saw nothing but sincerity in his face. She’d known this man for years. He was rough around the edges, but he was a good guy. She wouldn’t be with him if he wasn’t. 

“Okay, I do trust you,” she said. “I believe you. But Coop, I don’t know if I have enough money for bail. When I got here, they said it’d been set at $50,000. I don’t have that kind of money laying around.”

“We could dip into the business savings. Borrow the rest?” he suggested. 

Felicity swallowed hard. They had nearly $25,000 saved up so far to start their business with. She hated the thought of using that money but what other choice did they have? She couldn’t let Cooper sit in jail for something he didn’t do. She’d bail him out and then work on getting him some representation and then surely the truth would all come out, right? 

Before she could verbalize her thought process to Cooper, there was a knock at the interview room door and the same officer who’d led her there opened it. Felicity expected to see a detective or even a public defender walk in. She certainly didn’t expect Oliver Queen. 

“Mr. Queen!” she said, shooting to her feet. “Wh—what are you doing here?”

“I heard about the arrest made in today’s investigation,” he replied. “I’ve been kept informed of how the SCPD was dealing with this and when I heard they’d arrested one of my favorite employee’s significant others… I knew I needed to come down here right away, offer my assistance.”

Cooper just looked confused at this point, his mouth hanging open and a crease between his eyebrows as he gaped at Oliver and then back at her. Felicity wished she had an explanation but she had nothing. She was pretty sure Mr. Queen didn’t do this sort of thing for all his employees; especially not ones who were arrested on suspicion trying to harm the company. 

“I’m not sure what you can do,” she said, taking her seat again when Oliver gestured for her to sit. He sat next to her, both of them now facing Cooper who still looked like he was having a hard time catching up. “I was just discussing paying his bail. He assured me that he didn’t hack QC’s servers.”

“And you believe him?” Oliver asked her. There was no judgement in his tone, only curiosity. 

Felicity nodded. “Yes, I do.”

“Hmm. Interesting.” Oliver shuffled some papers he’d brought in with them, looking them over before looking up and meeting her eye. “I’d like to make an offer to you.”

“To me?” Felicity felt caught by his blue eyes.Oliver smiled. 

“To you both.”

“What’s the offer?” Cooper asked, finally speaking up. 

“I am paying Cooper’s bail. I just took care of it, you just need to sign this paperwork and you’re free to go.”

If Felicity had been drinking something, she probably would have sprayed it all over the place. “You’re what? You’re going to pay his bail? The whole thing?”

“Correction: I already paid it.”

“What do you want for it?” Cooper asked, watching Oliver carefully. 

Oliver smiled, looking relaxed. “In return, I want you to consider a proposition I’ve come up with. If you accept my proposition, you both owe me nothing. In fact, I will not only cover the bail cost entirely, but I will drop the charges against Cooper. If you reject my proposition, however, I will expect you to pay me back but I’d like you to consider it an interest-free loan. My terms would be very relaxed.”

“What sort of proposition?” Felicity asked, starting to feel a little nervous. What on earth could Oliver want from the both of them? They had nothing! Well, nothing except the ideas for their business but Oliver couldn’t know anything about that, could he? 

“I want you both to hear me out,” Oliver said. “Are you willing to do that.” 

Cooper nodded his head readily and Felicity bit her lip but nodded as well. What harm could come from hearing what Oliver had to suggest. After all, this could erase all their troubles. 

Oliver smiled again, seeing their assent. He set his papers aside and folded his hands together on the table top, leaning towards Cooper and meeting his eye. 

“I would like Ms. Smoak to agree to spend a night with me.”


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Cooper and Felicity learn the details of Oliver's offer and have some very different reactions to it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The reaction to my first chapter is amazing! Thank you all so much and thank you for giving this story a chance. I know it's a different sort of tale, just in general and from me. I wanted to clarify something: I've never actually seen Indecent Proposal. I'm just familiar with the concept. I did see Honeymoon in Vegas, which is a similar sort of thing as far as I know but yeah. If you're expecting me to follow the plot of the movie then you might be disappointed. I don't even know the plot of the movie. I just took the concept and plugged in Olicity and went from there. 
> 
> I would like to remind everyone of the themes for this story. If infidelity and paying money for sex and generally messy characters are not your preference, I would really rather you not read this story. I will make this clear with each chapter I post because those themes aren’t going away and are central to the story I wanted to tell. I don’t mind if that’s not your thing, but this is my story and I’m choosing to tell it the way I wanted to. I simply ask for respectfulness all around. Long story short: don’t like, don’t read. 
> 
> No additional warnings this chapter... not yet. But please keep an eye on the tags and the notes for warnings in the future. I don't want anyone to get an unpleasant surprise. Again, please let me know if you need me to tag anything. 
> 
> Big thanks to my ladies on Twitter (you all know who you are) for all the encouragement. I couldn't have written this without you. Also, thanks to @lexiblackbriar for all the beautiful posters she made me.

For one, drawn-out moment, one could hear a pin drop in that interview room. In that moment, Felicity wondered if she’d heard Oliver correctly. Surely, he hadn’t just suggested that she spend the night with him—?

“Are you joking?” Cooper exploded. “Please, tell me you’re joking! You did not just come in here and offer to _buy_ my girlfriend like she’s some common prostitute!”

Felicity wanted to add her outrage to what Cooper was saying but she was finding her throat was suddenly bone dry. She could only stare from Cooper to Oliver and back again as the fury built within her like a snowball gathering size rolling down a mountain. How fucking _dare_ he! 

“I assure you, I am 100% serious,” Oliver said, still looking relaxed, like he was discussing the weather. No, _worse_. Like he was discussing a business merger that he was confident he would come out on top with. 

“You want me to spend the night with you?” Felicity asked, her shock wearing off and giving her the ability to vent her outrage. “Sex? You want _sex_?”

Oliver turned to regard her. His eyes were sharp but not cold as he assessed her. “What I am proposing is one night with you where we do whatever I want.”

“Like what?!” she cried, envisioning all kinds of increasingly kinky and horrifying things. 

“You have some nerve—“ Cooper began, his face red. 

Oliver held up a hand, cutting him off. “All I’m asking right now is for you to consider this for a week. I’d like to set up a meeting with you in one week’s time where we would discuss the details and particulars and I would have contracts drawn up.”

“I am _not_ going to sell myself to you,” Felicity spat, her hurt and fury and outrage becoming overwhelming. 

“You are some kind of sick bastard to even come in here and suggest this to us,” Cooper told him coldly. 

Oliver still didn’t look overly concerned by their anger. In fact, if anything, he looked slightly amused. “I want to urge you to at least consider this for the week I’ve offered you.”

“Why should we?” Cooper demanded. “Why shouldn’t we flip you off and march out of here right now?”

“And why shouldn’t I go right to human resources tomorrow to report you for sexual harassment?” Felicity asked. 

“Well, for one, I’m not making this offer as your employer. In fact, none of this has anything to do with your employment at Queen Consolidated. This is a separate matter altogether that has nothing to do with your job.”

“Maybe we should just report you to the police for soliciting prostitution,” Cooper muttered. 

“Wait, aren’t the cops listening in on this? They told me when I came in that someone might be watching or listening,” Felicity said. 

Oliver shook his head. “I asked for some privacy before we came in.”

Felicity deflated back into her seat. Of course, the cops would do whatever Oliver Queen wanted. Damned billionaires thinking they can buy whatever they want… Felicity exchanged a look with Cooper who still looked furious. 

“You can’t just waltz in here, flashing your money and expect us to fall over just because you say so. That might work on other people, on the _cops_ , but it won’t work on us!” he spat. 

Felicity was holding onto her calm better than Cooper was… but just barely. She held up her hand and fixed Oliver Queen with a hard look. “Tell me why we should think about your insulting suggestion? You said you paid his bail, that we can pay you back if we turn down the proposal. So what’s stopping us from turning it down right now? Why wait a week?”

Oliver smiled at her, a genuine smile that. If they’d been a different circumstance and he hadn’t just revealed himself to be a gigantic creep, she would have returned the smile automatically. “That’s a great question, Ms. Smoak. Absolutely you have the choice of saying no to me right now. However, if you choose to do that, not only will I require a prompt repayment of the bond, but I assure you that I will prosecute this crime against Mr. Seldon using our team of lawyers. I feel I should point out that my family’s company has the best lawyers on the West coast. I suspect Mr. Seldon would be in for a very rough trial indeed.”

Felicity is about to open her mouth, to tell her creep of a boss to bring it on, that she and Cooper would fight him tooth and nail, when Cooper spoke up. “We’ll take the week, Mr. Queen.”

Felicity looked sharply at Cooper but he wouldn’t meet her eye. Instead, he stood as Oliver stood, shaking his hand over the table. Oliver was still smiling, but the authentic nature of the expression had faded away. “I’m glad you’re willing to consider my offer, Mr. Seldon. I will you see you both in a week? I’ll send word to Ms. Smoak on where and what time we can meet. Is that agreeable?”

Cooper nodded. “We can do that.”

“I expect none of you to speak of this outside of the three of us for the next week. I don’t have an NDA for you to sign at the moment so I’m going to have to trust you. Just know… I can lower the hammer on your future, Mr. Seldon. And I won’t hesitate to do so.”

“Understood, Mr. Queen.”

“See you both in a week,” Oliver said, nodding at both of them in turn before leaving the room. The door shut and Felicity finally felt able to breathe again. What the hell just happened? 

“Cooper?” she said. “What was that? Why didn’t you tell him we’d fight him in court?”

“Can we talk about this at home, Felicity?” he asked her. “I’d really just like to get out of here.”

She sighed and got up, grabbing her purse. “Fine. Let’s go.”

***

When they returned to their little apartment in the Glades, Felicity walked in ahead of Cooper, throwing her purse on the table next to the door. They had barely exchanged two words the entire ride home. Felicity didn’t know what to say. Oliver’s offer overwhelmed her, outraged her and befuddled her. Then there was the issue of Cooper’s arrest. He insisted he was innocent and she believed him. But dealing with the hack at work and then going straight to the police station was a _lot_ to process. That was even before Oliver Queen walked into the room. 

Felicity kicked off her heels as she crossed the room to the small kitchen. Cooper trailed behind her, still saying nothing, as she pulled out a bottle of wine she’d opened the night before and grabbed a glass out of the cupboard. She didn’t even ask Cooper if he wanted any as she popped out the cork and poured a generous portion of the red wine in her glass. Then, she downed it in one go. 

Immediately, she poured another glass. 

“Clearly, you don’t like this idea,” Cooper said. 

Felicity rounded on him. “Are you kidding me? Of course I don’t like this idea. It’s insulting!”

He walked to the sofa and plopped down. She followed him with her wine glass, tossing his xbox controller aside before sitting next to him. 

“I know it’s insulting, babe, but I think we should talk about it. We told him we would, that we’d meet with him in a week.”

Right in that moment, Felicity would rather light herself on fire. “Why, though? If you’re innocent, then why not fight him in court?”

“Because that’s not how the justice system works, Felicity. I know you aren’t this naïve. The Queens have money and the best lawyers and there’s no way I could get off with them prosecuting me!”

“So you’re not even willing to try? You want to just sell me off to him in order to secure your freedom?” she cried, choking on the injustice of it all. 

“Felicity, you’re overreacting.”

“HOW am I overreacting? That’s exactly what he wants. He wants to buy me!”

“No, right now, he wants to talk to us about it. That’s all.”

“And what’s guaranteeing that he’s not gonna pursue legal action if we talk to him in a week and say no?”

Cooper took a breath. “Nothing. There is no guarantee for that. But there is a guarantee he would throw the book at me if we say no _now_.”

Felicity took a long sip of her wine and then nodded, setting the glass aside. “Okay, I can concede that. But… honestly, Coop, tell me where your head is at with this. We can wait a week but… we’re going to say no. We _have_ to say no to this.”

She couldn’t help the tears that sprang to her eyes. What Oliver was proposing to them… it was unthinkable. Yes, she was attracted to him, but so was half of Starling City. And that was a very conservative estimate. The bottom line was that she was in love with Cooper. He was her boyfriend, they lived together, she wanted to marry him someday and grow a family together. They planned to go into business together. This proposal threatened to destroy all of that. Felicity couldn’t fathom it. 

And, frankly, it hurt her more than a little that Cooper might even consider agreeing to this. 

“Felicity, I agree. What Mr. Queen wants… is outrageous. I can’t even imagine where he got the idea. Have you two had some flirtatious interactions at work that I don’t know about?” 

Was he turning this back around on _her_? Never mind the prickle of guilt she felt when he brought up flirting at work, remembering how they’d teased one another that time she’d helped him. “I helped him with his computer once, in a professional capacity. That was it. It was my _job_. He flirted a little, but backed off when I told him I had a boyfriend. That’s the end of the story.”

“Okay, I’m sorry. It’s just… it threw me for a loop too, you know?”

“Then why did you back off your outrage so much when he threatened to come at you with his fancy lawyers?” she demanded.

“I don’t want to go to jail, Felicity,” he said. 

“But if you’re innocent, you wouldn’t.”

“And I think that’s very naïve to believe that.”

“Did you do it, Coop? Did you hack QC’s servers?”

“Felicity!”

“Mr. Queen seemed very confident that he could best you in court. I just want to know… did you do it? Please don’t lie to me.”

Cooper turned towards her, taking her hands in his. “Felicity, I swear to you. I didn’t do it. I have no idea why the cops came here, why they arrested me, what _evidence_ they think they have. But I didn’t do it.”

Felicity searched his eyes for a moment and couldn’t see any lies there. “I want to believe you…”

“Then believe me. I wouldn’t lie to you.”

They’d had seven years together. She trusted him. If she couldn’t trust him after seven years, wasn’t she just wasting her time? She had to believe him. “Okay. But… what are we going to do with Mr. Queen and his offer?”

“Well, I’ve been thinking a little bit about that,” he said. 

“In the thirty minutes since we left the police precinct?”

“Yeah. I was just wondering if we can get more out of this than just him dropping the charges against me.”

Felicity blinked. “Wait… what?”

“Just think about, okay? We need money to start our tech company, right? Mr. Queen is clearly obsessed with you. Maybe, if we ask for some money too or even just a loan, we can get the fresh start we’ve been waiting for.”

Felicity reached for her wine glass and drained it. But instead of soothing her, it settled sickeningly in her stomach. She made a noise of disgust as she set her glass down again. “You want to not only accept his proposal but ask for money on top of it?? Cooper… what the heck??”

“Don’t you think its at least worth asking him? We won’t know unless we ask and it’s an opportunity that might not ever come up for us again.”

She felt sick. “I don’t think he’ll go for it, Coop.”

“Let’s just ask and see.”

Felicity didn’t feel like asking and seeing. She felt like going into a room, alone, and crying. Because Cooper was okay with offering her up to another man. Sure, it was for his freedom and for money and what that money represented for them but… he was considering it. He was _actually_ considering it. 

“I need to be alone,” she announced, getting to her feet. “I’ll talk to you later.”

Without a backwards glance at her boyfriend, Felicity went into the room they shared and closed the door. Cooper didn’t follow, which she was glad for. She needed some time to wrap her mind around everything. 

Felicity flopped down on the bed, fighting off the tight, horrible feeling in her chest as she stared at the stained ceiling. She was a mess of emotions; angry, betrayed, annoyed, insulted and… maybe even a little intrigued. Maybe a teensy bit excited. What was _that_ about? But mostly, she was angry and she wasn’t sure who she was angrier with at the moment; Oliver for making the horrible offer in the first place or Cooper for even considering it. 

How could this not forever change their relationship? And why did it feel like she was the only one who was torn up about it?

***

The following Wednesday, Felicity was a nervous wreck despite herself. She’d promised Cooper she’d let him know as soon as Oliver let her know where and what time he wanted to meet them. He’d been bugging her for days, ever since she went into work the Thursday following Cooper’s arrest. But like he had for the past three months, Oliver stayed away from her. There wasn’t even so much as an email or inter-office memo. 

She began to hope against all hope that Oliver had decided to let this nonsense go. 

But it was the day that Oliver had told them he wanted them all to meet again and she just knew there was going to be no getting out of this situation. Felicity just wasn’t that lucky. 

She left the apartment a little earlier than usual that morning. Normally, Cooper slept in and she was free to get ready for work without him pestering her. But all week long he’d been getting up with her and following her around the tiny apartment, asking her questions about Oliver and the situation. So today, she had to get away. Her own nerves were too tightly wound to put up with her boyfriend and his nerves that day. 

So she stopped in at her favorite coffee shop before she went up to the IT department. The shop was just around the corner, easy walking distance from the parking garage. A half an hour before the work day began, the shop was pretty crowded but Felicity didn’t have a problem with standing in line. It gave her time to catch up on her email via her phone, just like everyone else was doing. 

The line moved relatively quickly and before too long, she was waiting off to the side of the pickup counter for her latte. She tucked her phone in her purse just as she heard a familiar voice behind her. 

“Good morning, Ms. Smoak. I don’t usually see you in here before work.”

Felicity turned to see Oliver standing there, cardboard cup of coffee in one hand. He smiled, such a friendly and non-threatening expression for such a _creep_. 

“Good morning, Mr. Queen. I had a little extra time this morning,” she replied with a shrug. 

“I usually stop in every morning,” he told her. “My driver has gotten to used to just letting me off out front and then I walk into the office.”

Before she could think of a reply, her name was called so she stepped up to accept her latte from the barista behind the counter. Foolishly, Felicity expected Oliver would have left by the time she turned back around, but no. He was still standing there, waiting for her. As she approached, he moved to the door and held it open for her. 

“Mind if I join you on the walk to the office?” he asked. 

Felicity knew that, realistically, she had little choice here. They were both walking the same direction. And he clearly had waited for her because he wanted to talk. She wasn’t sure why she was dreading speaking with him, but something about this man made her feel completely off balance. As a woman who prided herself as staying _on balance_ 100% of the time, it was more than a little disquieting. Now, with his ludicrous “proposal” on top of everything else, she really didn’t know what to make of this man. But a walk down the street and around the corner? She could probably handle that. 

“Sure,” she said, taking a sip of her latte and keeping her eyes on the sidewalk in front of her. 

“I got an email from Cooper a few days ago,” Oliver mentioned. Felicity jerked her head over to look at him, surprised. 

“He emailed you?”

Oliver looked confused. “He didn’t tell you? The impression I got was that this was something you two had discussed and he was the one presenting it to me.”

“What was he presenting?” Felicity asked, feeling a knot of dread in her belly. She had a feeling what it was… 

“He suggested that I offer some cash in addition to dropping the charges and covering his bail money.”

_Fuck_. “No, I didn’t tell him to email you about that,” Felicity grumbled. “I mean, he brought it up to me but I wasn’t comfortable with the suggestion and didn’t really want to talk about it.”

“Why not?” Oliver asked. 

She fixed him with a deadpan glare. “Seriously? Like this whole situation doesn’t make me feel like enough of a prostitute already?”

Oliver had the grace to look at least a little uncomfortable. “I hope you know I don’t see it that way.” He cleared his throat. “What does he want the money for? If you don’t mind me asking…”

Felicity didn’t see the harm in telling him. “We’re looking to start our own tech company. We’ve had plans ever since college to do this together but it’s slow going with how little we’re able to save out of my paycheck each week. We’re saving a lot on rent by living in the Glades, but it’s still going to take us years to get there. I think Cooper is just interested in getting a shortcut.”

“The Glades, huh? Not a very safe neighborhood,” Oliver remarked, his brow furrowed. 

Felicity shrugged. “I carry mace. It’s been fine, so far. And no one has broken in because, well, we don’t have anything really worth stealing. Except for Cooper’s xbox, I guess.”

He made a noncommittal humming noise. “The tech company sounds like a good idea,” he said. “You’re too smart and talented to waste away in an IT department the rest of your career, even if it is _my_ IT department.”

She was surprised at the compliment. “It’s a means to an end right now. Not… that I don’t appreciate my job. I very much do, Mr. Queen. But I will admit it’s a paycheck. It’s not terribly challenging removing viruses from executives’ computers.”

“Please, I wish you’d call me Oliver,” he said. “And that’s exactly what I mean. The IT dungeon isn’t where you belong.”

“I’d rather call you Mr. Queen, if that’s okay,” Felicity replied, feeling a little shaken by his faith in her skills. 

“Fair enough… for now. And about our meeting tonight…”

“Wait… the meeting is tonight? But you never said?” she asked. The doors to the QC lobby were just ahead but now that he’d brought up the meeting, her hopes of getting away before plans could be discussed were dashed. 

“Of course it is,” he said. “I’d like to meet with both you and Cooper up in my offices tonight, after the end of the work day. Does seven o’clock work for both of you?” 

Cooper had a shift until four o’clock, if he even went in, that is. “Yeah, we can make it.”

“Excellent. My assistant will have left by then and we’ll have the floor to ourselves to discuss the proposal openly.”He stopped at the doors and opened it, holding it for her. “I look forward to seeing you again then, Ms. Smoak.”

There was so much heat in his gaze that Felicity felt herself blushing despite herself. She forced her eyes away from his as she ducked inside. “See you then, Mr. Queen,” she said before darting off to the non-executive elevators. She didn’t breathe easier until the elevator doors closed and the car swept her off to the IT floor. 

***

Cooper came to the building to meet her at five o’clock. They still had two hours before their meeting with Mr. Queen, so they went to dinner at a diner that was just down the street. Felicity ate lunch there with him all the time and while there were other restaurants in the area she preferred, she knew Cooper was most comfortable there so it was a no-brainer. 

They didn’t talk much as they ate. Felicity wanted to confront him about emailing Oliver without telling her or even asking her if she thought it was a good idea. But she knew it’d lead to a big fight and right then, on the cusp of this meeting, the last thing she wanted to be was at odds with her boyfriend. They needed to be a strong, united front _together_. 

The problem was she didn’t know what else to talk about with him. He was always bored when she talked about her work day. Usually, she just listened to him talk about his friends or Tech Village or something. But he was quiet tonight too. So instead, she focused on her turkey sandwich. 

They didn’t talk much until they’d paid the bill and were walking back to QC a while later. “Are you nervous?” Cooper asked her. 

“Yeah. Very nervous,” she admitted. “How about you?”

He nodded. “Yeah. It all kinda became _real_ today, you know? That he wants to have you for a night. I’m not really okay with that.”

She felt like telling him that’s what she’d felt like for the entire last week, but bit her tongue. “Yeah. I’m not either.”

“Maybe we should just say no. Let him give his spiel but then walk out,” he said. 

“What if he fights you in court?”

Cooper shrugged. “I don’t know. Maybe its like you said. I’m innocent, right? We can fight him and his lawyers.”

Felicity smiled, feeling at ease for probably the first time in a week. She squeezed his arm before linking her hand with his. “I’m so glad you said that, Coop.”

“I mean, I haven’t decided, but this is your decision too and I just don’t like the feel of this, you know?”

“I know exactly what you mean.”

Cooper paused right out front of QC and pulled her into an embrace. Felicity sunk into his arms, burying her face in the crook of his neck and reveling in the feeling of being held, being _safe_. She hadn’t realized how much she’d missed this closeness between them during the last week. She never wanted to lose it again. When she looked up at him, he smiled at her and bent to press a soft kiss to her lips. 

When he drew back, Felicity brushed her fingers down his jaw. “I want us to be a united front in there,” she told him. “Not me and him and you… but him against us, together. Can we do that?”

Cooper nodded. “Yes. We don’t agree to anything without discussing it first.”

Felicity wanted to add that she didn’t plan to agree to anything, period, but she nodded in agreement. 

When they entered the lobby, there was a security guard at the desk. Apparently, he’d been briefed by Mr. Queen because he gestured them towards the executive elevators, telling them that Mr. Queen was expecting them. Felicity held fast to Cooper’s hand as they rode the elevator up to the 37 th floor together. A united front. She wanted Oliver Queen to see them together like this and know he couldn’t disrupt their relationship. 

She thanked her lucky stars that Cooper had finally decided that this proposal was a terrible thing. 

True to Oliver’s word, the 37 th floor was empty. Their footsteps echoed as they walked towards the CEO’s office which, along with a special glassed-in conference room, took up most of the floor. His assistant’s desk was empty and beyond… 

The walls to Oliver Queen’s office were glassed in, much like the conference room. The door stood open, beckoning them in and Felicity could see Oliver sitting at his desk, the lights of the sprawling city below shining through the floor to ceiling windows. A few lamps were lit, giving the space a cozy feel. The office looked largely unchanged from when Felicity had been there three months ago, but Cooper had never seen it before and he couldn’t hide his wide-eyed interest. 

Oliver looked up as they entered and smiling, pushing the papers he’d been reading aside. He stood up, walking around from behind his desk to shake their hands. 

“I’m glad you both could make it.”

Felicity bit back some comment about them not really having much of a choice in the matter. She knew they did, but it really didn’t feel like it. 

They both shook his hand without replying but he didn’t indicate that he found it awkward, instead gesturing for them to sit on the leather sofa in his sitting area. On the coffee table, Felicity saw three stacks of papers and three cups of water with a nearby pitcher filled with more water and ice. The man was ready for them, all right. 

“Where do we start?” Cooper finally started. “Do you have some sort of sales pitch to give us?”

“I could make a crass joke about how it’s probably the opposite scenario,” Oliver said, sliding a glance at her. “But I’m not going to because that’s not what this is really about.”

Felicity raised her eyebrows. “Oh? Then what is it about? Do tell.”

“This is not about sex or human slaves or anything like that. I want that clear right off the bat. The agreement on the table is that I get one night to spend with Ms. Smoak. I get to dictate what we do during the time she is with me.”

“So… no sex?” Cooper asked. 

Oliver shrugged. “That’s not off the table, but it’s not my primary reason for this.”

Felicity hated to admit she was intrigued. “So you just want a… companion?”

He considered that for a moment. “Yes, I suppose. That’s probably the best term for it.”

She shifted on the sofa. That didn’t sound so bad, when he put it like that… 

“Here, I’d like you two to read over these documents I prepared. The top sheet details the parameters of what I expect. The next sheet discusses the compensation. And the third is the Non Disclosure Agreement, which regardless what you two decide, I expect to have signed before you leave this evening.” Oliver handed them each a stack of papers. He picked up the third stack and flipped through them as she and Cooper spent the next several minutes reading through. 

Everything was very neat and thorough and professional. Essentially, Oliver Queen expected nothing more and nothing less than her for one entire night, starting at seven o’clock in the evening and ending at seven o’clock in the morning.During that time, it would be like she was his girlfriend instead of Cooper’s. They would spend those twelve hours together, doing whatever Oliver had in mind. Whatever _that_ was. He didn’t give any examples or suggestions of what she could expect. However, what he did do was list things he would _not_ do. While he promised to “push her boundaries” (and didn’t that sound ominous but exciting all at the same time), he said her safety would never be in jeopardy. 

In return, the charges against Cooper would be dropped, the bail money would be a gift and no repayment would be required. 

The NDA looked pretty standard, warning them against ever revealing the details of this meeting or the agreement and if the proposal is accepted, the details of _that_ encounter as well. 

Cooper set down his stack of papers. “Mr. Queen, I’d like to discuss additional financial compensation to this before I sign anything.”

Oliver sat back, his legs crossed, a finger resting over his mouth as he looked at Cooper appraisingly. “I’ve thought a lot about your suggestion since I got your email and I’m not sure money changing hands in this situation is appropriate.”

“With all due respect, you want my girlfriend to be yours for twelve hours. To do whatever you want with her. Probably to have sex with her. I think asking for $100,000 is very reasonable.”

Oliver looked at her and Felicity felt her heart pounding. She agreed that involving money in this whole deal made everything so much sleazier. But Cooper seemed determined. The unity she’d felt with him when they walked in here was fading fast. She averted her eyes, twisting her fingers in her lap. 

“I never pay for sex,” Oliver said. “I don’t intend to start now. I don’t consider covering the bail to be paying for sex, I would consider that a gift between friends. Because spending twelve hours with Ms. Smoak would certainly make us all friends, would it not? Besides, for $100,000, I should be able to have your girlfriend for a week, not just twelve hours.”

“Then I’m afraid we have no deal,” Cooper replied. “We’ll sign your NDA but no deal.”

Oliver said nothing, but handed them each a pen. Felicity’s fingers shook as she signed the NDA. She hadn’t said much, but on the other hand, what _could_ she say? Words failed her with this entire thing. It felt surreal, like something out of a twisted movie. 

Cooper signed his paper with a flourish and got to his feet. She followed, grabbing her purse and lifting it over her shoulder. 

“Come on, Felicity. Let’s go home.” He took her hand and started to lead her from the office.

“Hold on a moment,” Oliver said, halting them in their tracks. They stopped and Cooper looked back. Felicity looked at the floor, wishing it would open up and swallow her. She had a feeling she knew _exactly_ what was going to come next. 

“I’d like to make a counter offer.”

“If it’s anything less than 100k, you’re wasting your breath,” Cooper told him, sneering. 

“It’s not less than 100k,” Oliver said, walking slowly to where they stood. Felicity lifted her eyes and met his. 

Blue held blue, the tension crackling between them. He was staring right at her, not even acknowledging Cooper. He spoke to her boyfriend, sure, but his focus was solely on her. 

“I’m offering you $500,000, plus the agreed terms of dropping the charges, for twelve hours with your girlfriend.”


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The negotiations continue and Oliver demands a prompt answer from Felicity and Cooper. There's no time to second guess their answer and the adventure truly begins...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Again, you guys humble me with your response to this story. The comments have been amazing and I love you all. Thank you for joining me on this ride. I will try not to let you down. 
> 
> No specific warnings for this chapter, just me re-stating that if these themes bother you, don't feel bad if you decide not to continue reading. This is a situation in which Oliver pays for time with Felicity while she's in a committed relationship with Cooper. That's just the facts. If that's not your thing, I don't judge. We are all different people with different predilections. 
> 
> Again, thank you to everyone who is reading and commenting here. And thank you to the ladies on twitter who encourage me and without whom I probably never would have written this. And a specific thank you to @lexiblackbriar for her beautiful graphic/covers she made for me.

Felicity heard a buzzing in her ears for a good minute after Oliver’s calmly delivered counter-offer. She looked to Cooper to see he was talking but for the life of her, she couldn’t hear what he was saying at first. All she heard, over and over, repeated in her mind was… $500,000. 

That would pay their apartment rent for a year, rent office space, hire some staff, take care of marketing, buy some computers… Her mind whirled as sound once again returned to her. 

“I assure you, Mr. Seldon, you heard me correctly. I said $500,000.” 

And Oliver hadn’t even broken a sweat or flinched or even so much as twitched an eyebrow. It made Felicity suddenly and wildly wonder if he’d been expecting to make that counter-offer all along. 

It was more money than either of them could have ever _imagined_. 

“What’s the catch?” Felicity demanded, jerking both men’s attentions to her. “There has to be a catch. Why that number? What more do you want from us?”

“No more. I just need you to sign the papers I’ve provided. You signed the NDA, but I have a number of waivers as well.”

“Waivers for what?” she wanted to know. 

“A number of things. It’s to protect both of us.”

Felicity looked to Cooper. He had a strange expression on his face. She found, for the first time in their relationship, that she had no idea what he was thinking

“Do we have some time to think about this?” she asked. 

“I’ve given you both a week. I’d like an answer tonight,” Oliver insisted. 

_Frack, frack, frack!_ The walls were metaphorically closing in. “And none of the terms have changed?” Felicity wanted to know. 

“None at all, Ms. Smoak. We are still discussing only one night, twelve hours of your time. Yes, during that time I will own you, as it were, but I promise you I will not hurt you. That is what the waivers are for, for both of us. But you get no say in what I choose to do with the twelve hours that I have you. Whatever we do or _do not do_ , is up to me. Not you. Those are my terms.”

“Do I get any say on the sex?” she asked. “Can I say no, when it comes to that?”

“Of course, Ms. Smoak. That’s encompassed in my promise not to hurt you.” Oliver looked at Cooper for a moment and then back to her. “It’s my intention that this all be very consensual.” 

It seemed strange that he would demand her compliance on everything but give her say on whether or not they had sex. What was stopping her from declaring right now that there would be no sex? Maybe he was counting on convincing her that she wanted to. Felicity had no idea. But it made her wonder. 

“Can we see these waivers?” Cooper asked. 

Felicity felt a thrilled sort of panic at the realization that Cooper seemed to be seriously considering accepting this. Of course, he couldn’t do that without her own consent but… before they’d come up here they’d agreed to be a united front. They’d both agreed that this proposal was ridiculous. Why did it feel they were no longer on that same page?

“Certainly.” Oliver returned to the coffee table and scooped up another stack of papers. He handed them directly to her. 

“Where’s my copy?” Cooper made a move to take the papers from her but Felicity quelled him with a look. 

“These are just for Ms. Smoak, as the agreement is largely between her and I. It affects both her and I in ways that it does not affect you.”

Felicity felt her cheeks heat. She moved back to the sofa and sat to thumb through the waivers. There was a medical waiver, which made her lift an eyebrow when she recalled Oliver vowing he would not hurt her. But as she read through it, she saw it was for accidents, like in the car. Okay, she could buy that. 

There was something about getting medical tests done preceding the “date”. Oliver had a physician who would be discrete and who would process test results quickly. Because, as another paper told her, he wanted the “date” to take place that Friday. _Frack_. Two days away. She’d have to see this physician first thing in the morning. Oliver saw what was making her forehead wrinkle and smiled. 

“I’ll make sure Mr. Moss excuses your absence tomorrow morning.”

Like it was school or something. 

“I will be getting similar tests done and the results will be ready for you Friday evening when you are picked up.”

Picked up? That just introduced a whole host of new questions. But Felicity tried to stay on track. She read through the rest, not finding anything else unexpected. Sighing, she tossed the papers back down on the coffee table. 

“Do you have any questions?” Oliver asked her. 

“I’m not sure. It’s a lot to take in, Mr. Queen.”

“I understand. I have a question though.”

“Okay?” She looked to Cooper who was looking through the waivers now, a pensive look on his face. 

“Are you on birth control?” Oliver asked her. 

Felicity fought a blush as she replied, “Yes. The shot.”

“Wonderful. Because I’d like to forgo condoms.”

“What?” Cooper burst out, his attention diverted from the waivers. “No condoms? What the hell!”

Oliver held up a hand. “This is why I ask for the medical exam and tests. I will see Felicity’s results and she will see mine so we are both assured the other is clean. I simply prefer to have sex without a condom.”

Cooper looked indignant but didn’t say anything else. The medical tests did make more sense now. “That’s if there’s sex,” she pointed out. 

“Yes, of course,” Oliver said, his gaze on her. “Just covering all potential bases here.”

“Understandable,” she mumbled, taking the papers from Cooper and thumbing through them again. 

“Do you have a decision for me?” Oliver asked. 

Felicity looked to Cooper who gave a minuscule shrug of his shoulders. She bit her lip and looked back at Oliver. He gave no outward sign of discomfort or eagerness or anything beyond mild interest. 

“Can I talk to Cooper about this really quick first?”

Maybe she was imagining things, but she thought she noticed Oliver’s shoulders relax a little. He smiled. “Yes, of course. I’ll just excuse myself for a few minutes to give you two some privacy.”

Felicity watched as he crossed the office and entered a door that she assumed led to his private washroom. The door closed, leaving her and Cooper alone for the first time since they’d arrived at the 37 th floor. 

***

“So what do you think, babe?” Cooper asked. “500k! That is crazy, right? That’s enough to get our business going as soon as we want to.”

“Coop! He wants to _buy me_. And while he won’t flat out admit it, its pretty obvious he wants to have sex with me. How in the hell are you okay with this?” Felicity cried. 

Her boyfriend looked uncomfortable. “I’m trying not to think about that part.”

“We _have_ to think about that part! And, Coop, this is my life and my body and my agency on the line here. The money would be great but what is it worth?”

“It’s our future, Felicity!” he argued. “I know the practicalities are… not great. But it’s only twelve hours. And he’s promised not to hurt you. It’s not like you’re going to be tortured. He’ll probably take you out to a nice dinner or something. The point is, at the end of it, we have the money to really start our lives together. It’s what we’ve wanted ever since MIT. Babe, this is what we’ve been talking about for _years_!”

“We had a plan for that, Coop. We were going to work and save our money. It’s why we live in that rat’s nest in the Glades, why we eat ramen for dinner most nights, why I work day after day for a boss who barely appreciates my skills.”

“You hate your job,” he pointed out. “I hate _my_ job. We both hate that apartment and all the ramen. It’s awful, worse than we expected. Isn’t it?”

“Yeah,” she mumbled. Felicity hated to agree, but it was true. This wasn’t what she’d envisioned back at MIT, she’d had a very romanticized vision of them scrimping and saving and working together to build this future. The reality was hard and ugly and they fought more often than they didn’t. 

“Things have been hard for us, too. Our relationship,” Cooper said, voicing her thoughts. “You’ve been working so much and we just don’t have the time to spend together anymore. If we had this money, we could have that time. We could have what we had at MIT back, babe!”

Felicity gnawed at her lower lip. That was something she wanted, almost as much as she wanted this company with Cooper someday. She wanted things to be like they used to be, when they were still in school and they had so many plans and they were just so in love. Cooper was her first _real_ love, her first _real_ boyfriend. Given her past and her issues stemming from her father leaving when she was little, it was a miracle she could trust Cooper as much as she did anyhow. But what they had was real and they had history. Things were hard right now, but she had to believe that was temporary. That was just stress brought on by their situation. 

“Don’t you think doing this will bring even more stress onto our relationship?” she asked. “I’d most likely be sleeping with another man. Do you really think we can survive that?” 

Cooper turned to her, putting his hands on her knees, stroking the skin there with his thumbs. “I hate the thought of you with someone else,” he told her. “But do I think we can survive it? Yes, I do. The pressure is going to be on me to be okay with it.”

“And not me?”

“Well, of course you…. But I mean, you’re not planning to fall in love with this guy, are you?”

Felicity shook her head. “No, Coop. No. I’m in love with _you_.”

“Exactly. And I know that,” he said. “So the one who has to be okay with you doing this is me. You’re just going to be happy to get back to me and so I’m going to have to just ignore what you and he might be doing. You know?”

Felicity wasn’t so sure that made sense or if what he thought made sense would actually _work_ … but he seemed very earnest about it. “I’m going to need you to promise me that you can ignore it, Coop.”

“I promise I can. So you want to do it?”

Her stomach roiled. “No, I don’t _want_ to do it. But… if I know that you’ll be there, waiting for me afterwards… I might be able to consider it.”

“I’ll be there, babe. I promise. And we’ll have this money and we’ll be so busy building Seldon-Smoak Technologies that we won’t have time to think about whatsisname.”

“Why not Smoak-Seldon?” she teased, knowing the answer already. They’d discussed this back at MIT, after all. Alphabetical order was the standard reply. Honestly, she didn’t even _care_ about the name, so long as she had the company she’d dreamed about since she was a little girl. In that regard, spending twelve hours with a wealthy, attractive man in order to achieve that life-long goal seemed a small price to pay. 

“Just focus on the money, babe. The money is what’s gonna make this worth our while. Can you do that?”

Felicity sighed. “I feel like I’m compromising myself, my standards. Will this make me a bad person?” she asked. 

“Felicity. You’re the kindest, most honest and most hardworking person I know. I don’t think its possible for you to be a bad person,” Cooper told her. 

“So… are we doing this?”

“Its up to you. You get the final say. But I want you to know that I’m okay with it. This is for us, our future, so it’s okay. You decide.”

She couldn’t see any lie in his eyes as he watched her. She knew Cooper wanted this company just as badly as she did. This was his dream too. He needed it as much as she did. Her concern about the stability of their relationship in the face of those twelve hours was still there, but if he could be okay with it, surely she could be okay too, right? It was just twelve hours. This was their _future_. 

“Okay. Let’s do this,” she finally said. 

***

Oliver returned a few minutes later and, once again, Felicity and Cooper presented a united front. They held hands as they sat on the sofa and Oliver noticed right away as he took the seat opposite them. His eyes focused on where their hands were joined and, if Felicity wasn’t mistaken, there was a bit of a hitch in his smile. 

“What did you both decide?” he asked, smoothly, as though he had little care what the answer was. But she noticed that he sat on the edge of his seat, holding himself still and ready. 

Cooper nudged her with his shoulder and smiled at her, signaling to her once again that the decision was ultimately hers. She smiled back gratefully. 

With a deep breath, Felicity turned her attention back to Oliver. “I’ve decided to accept your offer,” she said. “I will spend the night with you in return for you dropping the charges against Cooper and $500,000.”

Oliver’s smile practically lit the room. “I’m so glad you’ve agreed.”

Felicity wished she could say the same. A pit settled in her stomach as cooper squeezed her hand. She still had so many questions, starting with why he wanted to spend this night with her so badly. But she tried to push her questions and doubts aside. “Where are the papers you need me to sign?” she asked matter-of-factly.

Oliver handed her a stack and then a pen and she bent over the coffee table, signing the various waivers and agreements. Then she handed the pen to Oliver and watched as he signed as well. Then, he tucked the papers into a file folder and placed that in one of his desk drawers. 

“As for the money, its up to you how you’d like it delivered. Cash or direct deposit?”

Felicity looked to Cooper. “Cash? Easier to access? Less taxes?”

He nodded. “I agree.”

“That works. I probably would have chosen cash as well. There will be 500 grand given to you when you return to your apartment Saturday morning.”

Felicity nodded. She got to her feet, wiping her damp palms on her thighs before grabbing Cooper’s hand again. “Do I need to bring anything with me?” she asked. 

Oliver shook his head. “No. Just yourself. Everything else will be provided for you,” he replied. 

“Okay,” she said. “And I’ll be meeting with that doctor tomorrow morning.”

“Yes. You have the directions to his office?” 

She nodded again. Cooper squeezed her hand. 

“I guess this means I’ll see you Friday evening,” she said, sticking out her free hand to shake Oliver’s. He looked bemused as he accepted the gesture. 

“Yes, you will. Both of you, enjoy the rest of your evening.”

Felicity didn’t let go of Cooper’s hand until they reached her car in the QC parking garage, ten minutes later. 

***

The next two days passed in what felt like a blur to Felicity. She and Cooper went on as though nothing was different, as though nothing was going to happen or had happened. If anything, he was more attentive with her than he had been lately. He was very understanding of her quietness, not asking her about it too much… at least beyond that moment when they returned home from QC on Wednesday and he asked her why she was so quiet. She’d burst into tears and locked herself in the bathroom until she could get herself back under control. 

But Felicity did get herself back under control. She always did. That’s what she did, after all, and what she had been doing ever since she was a little girl. She’d take a moment to let all the despair or rage or hurt out, she’d cry and then she’d pick herself back up and soldier on. She was very good at it by now. 

So the next morning, Felicity drove to the physician’s office indicated on the card Oliver had passed to her the previous evening. She even walked into the waiting room with her head held high. She gave her name at the front desk and was surprised when the nurse brought her back to the exam room directly. Apparently, they’d been expecting her. 

The exam was quick and efficient, the blood was drawn right there in the exam room and rushed off for testing. Everyone was very kind and polite and no one acted at all like this wasn’t normal so Felicity took her cue from them. 

What was that saying? Fake it till you make it? 

When she entered the cubicle farm of the IT department, she almost expected Ken Moss or some other grating personality to give her a hard time for being late to work. But no one said a word. It was almost eerie. In fact, only Curtis acknowledged her, shooting her a grin and a half wave as he listened to someone on the phone detail their computer woes to him. Felicity waved back and went directly to her desk and got to work. Only a few times did she think about her impending date and then quickly chastised herself for even thinking of it as a ‘date’ in the first place. 

The next day, her test results were waiting for her when she returned from lunch with Curtis. They were in a manilla envelope stamped ‘confidential’. The contents were hardly surprising but Felicity still flushed as she tucked the envelope into her purse and got back to work. 

She was doing everything she could not to think too hard about what was going to happen that night, and who it would be happening with. It was _just_ twelve hours. God willing, some of that time would be spent sleeping so, honestly, how bad could it be? Then again, maybe Oliver Queen was the sort of man who liked to stay up all night doing weird things. Kinky things. _Sexy_ things. That thought made her feel warm all over and she just knew she was blushing. After she got her wayward thoughts under control (again), it occurred to Felicity that she didn’t really know much about him. 

She knew his family was the very definition of “old money”. His parents had passed away about eight years prior, making national news and leaving him to care for his sister who was only 12 at the time. Felicity had a dim recollection of Oliver Queen being a regular staple on TMZ and other gossip sites around that time. She knew he’d had a wild and raucous youth, dating a lot of D-list celebrities and getting into a lot of trouble with the authorities. Sex, drugs and rock and roll. To a young Felicity, he’d been the height of frivolous decadence. 

But after his parents died in that well publicized boating accident, Oliver stopped appearing in the tabloids quite as much. And then not at all. Felicity hadn’t noticed because she’d been graduating high school at the tender age of fifteen and heading off to college clear across the country. But she’d done some research on Oliver Queen this last week and what she turned up surprised her. 

She’d assumed he was still the frivolous, womanizing playboy he’d been all those years ago. While the talk about the handsome CEO around the water cooler was lurid and desirous, Felicity couldn’t think of a single instance where someone from the company could report actually dating him or even just hooking up. Her online research had revealed that local magazines and websites regularly ran speculative articles about his dating life but as far Felicity could tell, nothing noteworthy, long-term or particularly salacious had popped up. 

That was stranger still. If he wasn’t a womanizer anymore, then what exactly was he doing with _her_? Felicity had assumed this was something he did from time to time, if not extorting his female companionship then at the very least offering a tempting deal for a no-strings affair. Then again, if all his conquests were signing Non-Disclosure Agreements then that would explain why the gossip sites never got ahold of the news. 

Regardless, according to his Google footprint, Oliver’s dating life had all but dried up in the last eight years. Instead, what she saw digital proof of was how serious and closed-in the man had become. He was frequently described as “brooding” and “thoughtful” and “quiet”.Three words Felicity never would have used to describe the man she’d seen on TMZ all those years ago. 

It was rather frustrating, the lack of concrete information about Oliver Queen. Felicity still felt like she didn’t quite know this man. And yet she was going to be spending twelve hours with him later on that evening. 

When five o’clock rolled around, instead of feeling the usual relief she normally felt at being free for the weekend, Felicity felt her dread multiply in her belly. She packed up her desk, said goodnight to Curtis, and headed to the elevators and her car. She drove home as though on autopilot, her brain running through increasingly unlikely bur still horrifying scenarios. 

Felicity arrived home before Cooper did which made her happy if just because it meant he went to work that day. She was surprised, however, to find a package waiting for her inside the apartment. It must have arrived before Cooper left for work but he hadn’t opened it, instead just leaving it on the coffee table for her to discover. 

Felicity examined the box, determining from the delivery slip taped to the lid that it had been delivered (most likely by courier) from a local dress shop. She hadn’t ordered a dress. She didn’t have _money_ to order a dress. Curious, she lifted the lid. Inside, on top of a layer of frothy tissue, was a handwritten note with her name scrawled elegantly on the outside. 

Picking it up, she realized the note was from Oliver Queen. Of course it was. Who else had the money and reason to be sending her a dress? It wasn’t a long note and he got right to the point. 

 

_Ms. Smoak,_

_Wear this dress with the included shoes. My driver will be outside your building promptly at seven pm. Please meet him downstairs._

_See you soon._

_Oliver Queen_

 

Felicity set the note aside and dove underneath the tissue. There, she found a luxurious swath of cranberry red fabric. She held her breath as she lifted it out of the box and held it up. 

It was a dress all right. Couture and somehow exactly her size. It featured a high neckline but the shoulders and arms were left bare. The back had a deep split that went down to the small of the back. It looked like it fit close to the body, flaring out below the hips with a small draped train. Felicity boggled at the dress, unable to believe she was holding it, much less about to wear it. 

She peeked back inside the box and found a pair of sparkling gold high heeled sandals. Again, they were exactly her size. They were designer and her eyes bulged as she picked them up. These were by far higher than the highest heels she’d ever worn. But she also couldn’t wait to try them on. They were going to look amazing with this dress. 

She took the box, the dress, the note, and the shoes into the bedroom with her, stashing the box and the note at the top of the closet. She took the dress and shoes (and a pair of underwear she selected from her drawer…the nicest she had which would still pale in comparison to the dress but her options were limited) into the bathroom.

Before Cooper arrived home, she wanted to be well on her way to being ready to go. Felicity hopped in the shower and scrubbed herself from head to toe, shaving all her areas as neatly as possible. She didn’t linger. Once out, she dried her hair while wrapped in a towel. Not knowing quite what to do with her hair, she left it loose and smooth so it would brush her shoulders and cascade down her back. That seemed easier than trying to pin it up.

Then, Felicity put on her makeup. She kept it light and simple. A slightly smoky eye, red lips to match the dress. Wiggling into her plain black underwear, Felicity hoped Oliver wouldn’t notice they didn’t quite go with the dress. It was the only thong pair she owned, though, and a dress like this would show panty lines like no one’s business. 

Slipping on the dress was akin to a religious experience. It felt like silk against her body. There was no wearing a bra with a dress like this, but surveying herself in the mirror, she kind of liked the perky thing her boobs were doing in this dress. Brazenly, she wondered what Oliver would think when he saw her. Hopefully, that he’d gotten his money’s worth. But, even worse, Felicity found she was also hoping to see a bit of lust in his eyes. 

The fabric swished around her shaven legs as she walked out of the bathroom with the heels in hand. Cooper stood next to the bed, looking a little awkward. His eyes got as round and wide as saucers when he saw her. 

“Where did you get that?” he asked, his voice low and appreciative as his eyes moved over her. 

Felicity fought a blush. “It… it was waiting here. In a box.”

“Oh! That’s right. Some guy delivered that just as I was leaving. So… it’s from _him_?”

She nodded. “The shoes too.”

He whistled. “Nice. I wonder if he’s deducting those from the total he’s paying you.”

Cooper was joking, she knew that. But it still rubbed her the wrong way. “You’re not making this any easier for me.”

He sighed and sat on the edge of the bed, patting the space next to him. She sat carefully, not wanting to crease her dress. “I’m sorry, babe. I don’t mean to make this more difficult. It’s just… it’s how I cope.”

“I know that. I’m sorry if I snapped. I’m just on edge.”

“It’s not too late to back out,” he told her. 

“I think it probably is,” she muttered. 

Cooper watched her while she put the sandals on. As she’d predicted, they felt like heaven on her feet. Some small, ridiculous part of her hoped she got to keep these shoes when this night was over. 

When she was all ready, it was just a few minutes before seven o’clock. Cooper grabbed her in a hug, holding her close and tight. Felicity buried her face in his neck, breathing his scent in, wishing she didn’t have to let go. But she did. 

“I’ll see you when I get home,” she said. 

“I’ll be here, waiting,” he promised. 

“I’ll think of you tonight. I’ll wish it was you, Coop.” She felt tears burning her eyes and blinked quickly, not wanting to mess up her makeup. 

“I wish it was me too, babe. I’ll think of you tonight too.”

He walked her to the door of the apartment and gave her a kiss. Then, she hurried for the decrepit elevator before she could change her mind, waivers and NDAs and contracts be damned. 

The slow, jerking ride down to the lobby felt like it took years instead of minutes. Felicity clutched her purse in her hands, lamenting that it absolutely did not go with the dress but she wasn’t going to leave her purse at home. She could feel her heart pounding as she willed herself to stop fixating on the what-ifs. This was happening. It would be a lot easier on her nerves if she just let go and went with it. 

_That works in theory, at least_. 

Finally, the old metal doors creaked open and Felicity stepped into the dim and vaguely dirty lobby. She could see out the doors that a long, sleek limousine already sat at the curb so she hurried outside, not wanting to keep him waiting. 

As soon as she stepped out, the driver’s door opened and a tall, muscular man stepped out. Was he a driver or a bodyguard? The man looked like he could snap just about anyone, including herself, in two without breaking a sweat. He came around the limo and opened the back door for her. He smiled at her as she approached. 

“Good evening, Ms. Smoak. My name is John Diggle. I am Mr. Queen’s bodyguard and driver and I’ll be driving you tonight and back home tomorrow.”

Felicity shook his hand, which made him chuckle. “Nice to meet you John Diggle. I’m a little nervous so please excuse any inappropriate babbling I might do tonight.”

He winked at her. “I’d wonder if you weren’t nervous. And please, call me Diggle. Or Dig. All my friends do.”

“I’ll call you Diggle only if you promise to call me Felicity.”

“Deal.”

She peeked into the backseat, noticing it was empty. “Mr. Queen isn’t here?”

“We’ll be picking him up directly from Queen Consolidated,” Diggle told her. 

“Ah…”

Felicity let Diggle hold her hand, helping her into the backseat of the limo. It wasn’t as easy as it seemed, what with all the folds of fabric in her dress. She didn’t want to drag it through a puddle or get it caught in the door. Luckily, Diggle graciously helped her and gave her another grin before snapping the door closed.

On the seat next to her was a file folder. Curious, Felicity picked it up and peeked inside. It was Oliver’s test results, dated the same morning as her own. Had he been there too? Just after her? Just before? The results were pretty explanatory. He was free of any diseases. Looks like he’d be getting his “no condom” wish, then. 

All that was left to do now was sink back against the butter soft leather seats and enjoy the ride. Enjoy was probably too strong a word. Endure sounded so… _tragic_ though. And so her thoughts continued to whirl as Diggle pulled the limo away from the curb in front of her run down apartment building, ferrying her to a night she was surely never going to forget. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I will be posting the next chapter, which details the first part of the "date", on Wednesday. After that I will likely bump back to posting once a week (likely on Mondays) because NaNoWriMo will be starting and I have a Christmas fic I plan to be slaving over for those next thirty days. ;) Wish me luck on that! 
> 
> If you want to see Felicity's dress and shoes... <https://www.pinterest.com/pin/775604367046985487/> and <https://www.pinterest.com/pin/78742693464315625/>.


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The date has arrived... what does Oliver have planned for him and Felicity?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Again, all the love for you guys. Your comments give me life and I'm so excited to share the rest of this story with you! 
> 
> The date is here... while this chapter is still relatively tame, we get some heating up towards the end of the chapter. Mind the tags for this chapter and the next and if smut isn't your thing, be aware. 
> 
> Thanks again to my ladies on Twitter for the encouragement and feedback, and to @lexiblackbriar for her beautiful posters.

The limo pulled up at the curb in front of Queen Consolidated several minutes later and Felicity watched as Oliver strode out the doors, looking absolutely mouthwatering in a tuxedo. As he trotted down the steps, she caught a flash of suspenders underneath his jacket. _How_ was that somehow _hotter_?

She really shouldn’t be thinking about how hot he looked. _Think of Cooper. Think of Coop—_

Diggle pulled the door open and a moment later, Oliver slid across the seat. He saw her and smiled, his eyes eating up her form. “Good evening, Ms. Smoak. I see you received the dress I had sent over. And the test results.” He gestured to the file folder on the seat next to her. 

“Hello, Mr. Queen. And yes, I did. The dress is beautiful… I wasn’t expecting anything like this. And thank you for the test results. Did you get mine?”

“I did, thank you. And I know you weren’t expecting that dress. But I needed you to have something appropriate to wear to our first stop tonight,” he explained. “And you wear it so well. You’re beautiful.”

Her cheeks warmed. “Thank you. What’s our first stop?”

“QC is hosting a charity gala at the new children’s center tonight. I need to make an appearance, it’s something I cannot get out of. I want you to accompany me as my date,” he explained. 

That explained the dress, all right. A charity gala… she knew that QC and the Queen family participated in many different charities and fundraisers. It was one of the things that she liked best about the company, to be honest. She felt a mixture of emotions about attending this… glad for the experience and the chance to perhaps do some networking with the business elite that would surely be there and… a little nervous about being there as Oliver Queen’s date. 

Oliver seemed to read her mind. “There will be quite a few press outside this event. We’ll be expected to walk the carpet and take a few photos. I will be introducing you as my date so I wanted to warn you about the scrutiny that might bring.”

“I’m sure we can make it appear casual, maybe even platonic,” she said. 

“Maybe. But you should know the press likes to jump to wild conclusions when it comes to my love life,” he warned her. Yes, Oliver would have experience with that. 

“If we’re going to do press, you should probably stop calling me Ms. Smoak,” Felicity suggested. 

That made Oliver smile. “Ok, I think I can accommodate that. And you should call me Oliver.”

“For the next twelve hours. But at the office? I think you’ll always be Mr. Queen.”

Maybe it was the dimness of the limo interior, but Felicity could have sworn she saw Oliver’s sharp blue eyes darken when she used his more formal name. 

The limo cruised to a smooth stop and Felicity could see the flash of cameras through the darkened windows and hear the buzz of voices. Oliver reached across the seats and took her hand, squeezing it a little before holding it firmly. The back door opened, held by Diggle, and Oliver released her hand to step out before turning around and offering his hand back to her. Felicity set her purse on the floor of the limo, not wanting to bring it in with her, even if it contained her phone. She accepted Oliver’s hand, scooting as delicately as she could and making sure her dress wasn’t in the way as she stepped out of the vehicle. 

The flashes were blinding as people shouted Oliver’s name. He held her hand firmly, leading her forward. Felicity held onto him as though he were a lifeline. Blinded as she was, that’s basically what he was. She focused on not tripping on those outrageous new heels she was wearing or catching her skirt on anything. That’d be just the thing she needed, to fall flat on her face in front of a phalanx of paparazzi. 

Oliver stopped her and she realized they were in front of a backdrop, branded with the children’s charity logo, QC’s logo and a few other corporation’s logos as well. He slipped an arm around her waist, drawing her to his side and she noticed an army of photographers in front of them. All of them were snapping pictures so Felicity smiled as brightly as she could, leaning into Oliver. Several reporters shouted out questions. 

“Oliver! Is this a new girlfriend? What’s her name!”

“Mr. Queen! Who’s the lady?”

“Mystery lady, who are you? How do you know Oliver Queen?” 

Felicity took her cue from Oliver, who just smiled for the cameras but didn’t answer. After a moment, he released her waist but took her hand again, leading her down the carpet and towards the doors to the museum. He waved to the reporters who shouted louder after them. 

They hadn’t even entered the gala yet and already Felicity was feeling overwhelmed. Oliver must have sensed this because he squeezed her hand and smiled down at her. “Doing okay?” he asked. 

“I think so. It’s just a lot,” she said. 

He nodded, smiling. “It is. But you’re doing great.”

Things settled down inside the children’s center, thankfully. There, Felicity was alternately dazzled by the rich decorations draped over every surface (it seemed) and also by the people in attendance. She’d seen these people in magazines and on television and in some cases, had even read about their achievements while in college. Now, she was standing in the same room as them, as though she were one of them. 

Oliver made a circuit of the room, saying hi to people and introducing her. He didn’t give any details about their relationship but his voice was warm with fondness as he talked her up to Starling’s glitterati. It made her feel strange, but also special. She wasn’t used to the attention, but she rather liked it when it came like this. 

About a half an hour later, Oliver found them both some wine to sip and they stood off to the side to enjoy it and watch the other guests. “Are you hungry?” he asked her. 

“Not quite yet,” Felicity admitted. “My stomach is just now settling down from all the nerves.”

“Maybe after this we can get a bite somewhere.”

“That’s up to you, remember?” she reminded him. But she grinned at him, letting him know she was teasing. He took it easily, grinning back. 

He talked to her about the various people around them, pointing out various big names and Felicity ate up the information. “Who’s that?” she asked, pointing towards a tall, Disney-prince looking gentleman. 

A strange look crossed Oliver’s face. “That is Ray Palmer, CEO of Palmer Technologies.”

“Why haven’t you introduced me to him yet?” she asked. 

Oliver raised an eyebrow at her. “We don’t exactly get along. Hey, who’s in charge here?” he replied, his voice teasing. 

Felicity gave him a pleading look which had his grin growing even though she could tell he was trying to fight it. 

“You are such a brat. Fine, come on…”

She followed him across the room to where Mr. Palmer stood talking to several city council-members. When he saw them approaching, he excused himself and met them halfway. 

“Queen, this is a great cause your company is hosting. You should be proud,” Ray said, sticking out his hand. 

“I am,” Oliver assured him, shaking his hand. Felicity stood to the site, noting the heightened level of testosterone suddenly filling the air. “I wanted to introduce you to Felicity Smoak.”

Ray turned his attention to her and his eyes lit up. Felicity bit her lip as his eyes coasted over her before returning to meet her gaze. He bowed a little at the waist, smirking. 

“Nice to meet you, Mr. Palmer.” 

“I assure you, Ms. Smoak, the pleasure is all mine.”

Oliver stood stiffly next to her and displeasure radiated off of him in waves. “Ms. Smoak is my date for tonight’s event,” he interjected. 

Ray’s thick, dark eyebrows flew up and he backed away a little. “Oh? Don’t you usually come to these events solo?”

Oliver shrugged. “Not tonight.”

“It’s lovely to meet you, Mr. Palmer. I’ve read a lot about your company, the innovations you’ve made. First with the smart wearables and now I hear you’re exploring cogeneration. I think that’s fascinating!”

Ray smiled at her, displaying straight white teeth. He really _was_ a Disney prince. Maybe not as attractive on a primal level as Oliver was, but he was very pretty indeed. And young, for all he’d accomplished. From what Felicity knew, he was only a few years older than Oliver himself, who was rather young at the age of 30. 

“I’m glad to hear you think so, Ms. Smoak. Palmer Tech is all about looking ahead to the future and combining that innovation with green technology where we can.”

“Honestly, I wish Queen Consolidated would participate more in that sort of thing.”

Oliver coughed a little awkwardly next to her. She glanced at him, wincing a little. “I’m sorry. It’s just… that kind of research is something QC could really benefit from.”

“Believe me, I’ve tried. But Palmer hasn’t really wanted to partner with QC on cogeneration.”

Now, she looked at Ray who was shrugging sheepishly. “Queen and I have an old, personal beef. I’m afraid I let that get in the way of doing business. To my credit, however, he exhibited poor character and I wasn’t sure I wanted to associate my company with that sort of thing.”

Felicity felt a little indignant on Oliver’s behalf. “I admit I haven’t known Oliver as long as you probably have, Mr. Palmer, but I assure you he has QC’s best interests in mind. I know he was in the news a lot when he was younger but that was a long time ago and I think he’s had more than enough chance in the last eight years to prove how he’s changed.”

Both men were silent a moment, staring at her. She fought the blush she could feel rising to her cheeks. Yes, this whole scenario she found herself in with Oliver was a bit… odd. But there was no denying he was a canny businessman and she didn’t doubt for a second that he cared deeply about his family’s company. It felt unfair for Ray to judge him on something that happened so long ago when it was clear, even to her, that he’d changed. 

“Queen is a lucky man to have someone like you defend him so passionately,” Ray remarked. He didn’t look upset, thankfully, just mildly impressed. 

“Ms. Smoak isn’t just caring, she’s brilliant. She graduated at the top of her class from MIT with dual masters degrees,” Oliver said. “I’m not the only one lucky to have her, QC is fortunate as well.”

The three of them chatted for another half an hour, both Oliver and Ray loosening up considerably with one another. Still, Felicity was at the center of their attention more often than not and when they finally parted ways with Ray, the man lingered over her knuckles even more than he had when they first met. 

“You are a very charming woman, Ms. Smoak. If this guy ever steps out of line, I’ll be waiting in the wings.”

Oliver stepped in and took Felicity’s hand from Ray. “That’s a sweet offer, but I don’t think she’ll need it.”

“Boys, boys. I won’t have you fighting over me,” Felicity teased. 

Both of the men chuckled good naturedly and Ray walked away, with an assurance to call Oliver’s assistant on Monday morning and schedule a meeting to discuss their companies working together. When they were alone, Oliver turned to her with a half smile on his handsome face. 

“Wow. How did you do that? I’ve been trying to get that man to meet with me for the last three years. But a half hour with you and he turns to putty.”

Felicity shrugged and grinned. “I guess I’m just naturally charming. You’re welcome, by the way.”

Oliver shook his head, smiling at her. Then he held out his hand. 

“Let’s get out of here. I doubt we can top that coup de grace tonight, best get out while we’re ahead.”

She took his hand while he slipped his phone out of his pocket, sending out a quick text to Diggle to bring the limo around.

He lead her outside and Diggle had the door open for them already. “Did you have a nice time, Felicity?” he asked her. 

“I did,” she admitted honestly. It’d felt good and _natural_ to rub elbows with all those people and she hoped in the future, when she and Cooper had their company, that there could be plenty more experiences like this one. 

***

It turned out that Oliver had previously let Diggle know that they were hungry and a couple of bags of Big Belly Burger were waiting for them in the back seat of the limo. Oliver instructed Diggle to drive them around while they ate. 

Diggle took them on a scenic drive around the outskirts of town, up into the hills. Felicity and Oliver talked while they ate their burgers, the sunroof above them open and letting in the breeze and moonlight, and if she thought the highlight of the evening was going to be the charity gala, she was gladly mistaken. Oliver didn’t talk about himself much, but he did talk quite a bit about his sister Thea. But more than that, he seemed very interested in learning about _her_. 

Felicity didn’t usually open up about her past. Cooper knew some of it but she held some back. Some of it was still too painful. It was easier to pretend that she had a childhood just like everyone else so that’s what she did. But opening up to Oliver happened almost against her will. Or maybe her will was what made her talk about it. 

“So obviously I know you went to MIT, I looked it up in your personnel file,” Oliver said. “But there was nothing about your life from before that. Did you grow up in Boston? Or somewhere else?”

“Vegas, actually. My mother still lives there. I haven’t seen her since I moved here.” She winced. “She and I… it’s a hard relationship. We just don’t have a lot in common.”

“My parents and I had troubles before their deaths,” Oliver admitted. “They wanted so much more from me but at the time, I just could not deal with their expectations. There was a lot of yelling.”

“Maybe my mom and I should have yelled more. But I locked myself in my room, working on fixing up old computers and reading books. She just didn’t know what to do with me.”

“Teenage girls are difficult,” he said. “I learned that with Thea.”

They were sharing a box of fries between them, the burgers already polished off. The moon cast ethereal, silverly light down upon them, occasionally broken up by the shade of trees they passed underneath. There was something enchanting about it all. 

“I thought I was a pretty easy teen at the time but looking back now… I think I made things hard for my mom on purpose. Did you know I used to dye my hair black?” she said, taking a sip of her milkshake.

Oliver’s eyes widened. “Black? You?”

She nodded. “Yep. With a purple streak and everything. I had a nose ring and wore all this heavy black eye makeup. I thought I was so tough. That’s around the time I left home to go to MIT. I was only 16.”

“I can’t imagine it. Still, pretty tame by comparison. You don’t want to hear what I was doing when I was 16,” he said with a shake of his head. 

“I had quite the chip on my shoulder. Because my dad left, I thought I was unloveable. So I acted out, kind of like a self-fulfilling prophecy.” Felicity shrugged. All the old feelings were surging back up again. She hadn’t talked about her dad in years. 

“When did he leave?” Oliver asked gently. 

“I was eight. I had no idea what was going on and I honestly thought he left because I’d been begging him to show me how to take apart a processor.”

Oliver reached for her hand, taking her milkshake and setting it aside before taking her hand in his. “I’m sorry.”

She took a ragged breath. “Thanks. I mean, I know now that it wasn’t my fault, but those feelings… they stuck with me, you know?”

He nodded. “I do.”

It was such an intimate moment and so unexpected. There they were sitting, facing each other on the bench seat in the back of this limousine, empty burger wrappers littered around them, dressed in formal wear. But it was the most real moment she’d really had in ages. And Oliver was such an understanding and attentive listener. 

“You should be a therapist,” she told him wryly. “You’re very good to talk to.”

“That’s just how I loosen you up in order to get in your pants,” he said, his eyes twinkling, making her laugh. 

Right then, her ringtone started to jingle from inside her purse. Felicity handed Oliver the fries and reached in to pull out her phone and see who was calling. It was Cooper. She bit back a groan. Now was _not_ a good time. But at the same time, she didn’t feel she should just ignore it. Oliver hadn’t said anything about phone calls when they’d had their meeting. 

She looked to him now and held up her phone so he could see who was calling. He glared at her phone and then looked at her. “I think I should answer it,” she said. 

“Then answer it,” he replied, not looking happy about it. 

Sighing, Felicity swiped her finger across the screen and lifted the phone to her ear. “Cooper? What’s up? Why are you calling?”

“I just… wanted to see if you’re okay. I miss you.” He sounded drunk. 

“I’m fine. I promise,” she said. “But I probably shouldn’t be talking to you right now.”

“Yeah, cuz you’re on _his_ time.” 

“Coop, come on.”

“Just… tell me you miss me.”

“Coop…”

“Tell me you’re thinking of me right now and you’re missing me.”

Felicity couldn’t tell if Cooper was truly upset about her being gone or if he was just being possessive or what his deal was. Maybe he’d been drinking tequila. He always turned into an asshole when he drank tequila. All the same, she knew if she didn’t humor him at least a little that he’d probably just keep calling. 

“Of course, Cooper.”

“I want to hear you say it. I want _him_ to hear you say it.”

Suddenly, her burger felt like a lead brick in her stomach. “I miss you, Coop. Of course I’ve been thinking about you.”

Felicity kept her eyes down but she knew Oliver was watching her. 

Cooper grunted. “Has he fucked you yet?” She bit back the anger that rose up, reminding herself that he was drunk and feeling jealous. 

“Coop, I don’t want to talk about this right now with you.”

“I just asked a question…”

“And I don’t like it. I’ll see you in the morning, okay?”

“Fine. See you in the morning.”

She ended the call and lowered the phone to her lap with a heavy sigh. Oliver reached over and plucked the phone out of her hand without saying a word. 

“What are you doing?”

He said nothing as he turned her phone off and slipped it into the pocket of his trousers. Then he was quiet, staring ahead, a muscle in his jaw ticking. 

“I shouldn’t have let you answer it.”

“Let me? It’s my phone!”

“But this is _my_ time. Twelve hours, Felicity. No more. He can call all he wants, but you’re mine. I’ve still got nine hours left and they belong to me, not him.”

Felicity wanted to argue but she knew she had no ground to stand on. Because she’d agreed to this. 

“I’m sorry he called,” she finally said after a long silence. 

Oliver looked at her then, his eyes sharp on her in the partial moonlight. “It’s not your fault that he did,” he told her. 

That broke the ice. The tension dissipated and they smiled at each other again. 

“Where to now?” she asked. 

One of his eyebrows lifted, giving him a cocky look. “You’ll see. It’s a surprise.”

***

Felicity was confused when the limo headed back towards the Glades. For one wild moment, she almost thought he was going to take her home, to her apartment. That maybe he’d changed her mind. And logically she knew such a thing would be a blessing, she would be _glad_ for it… she couldn’t help but feel a stab of dread. 

But Dig didn’t drive them towards her apartment. Instead, he went to the far side of the Glades, nearer the docks, where abandoned factories and warehouses were abundant. The limo came to a gliding stop in front of what looked in silhouette against the city lights to be an old steel factory, but the neon lights outside proclaimed it to be a nightclub named “Verdant”. 

Which… come to think of it… that name was a little familiar. 

She turned to Oliver. “A nightclub?” 

He smiled and shrugged. “My best friend owns it. I helped him get it started a few years ago, but QC has kept me busy so he’s the one who runs the place. I just get a permanent VIP booth.” 

Felicity looked back out the windows at the long line of people waiting outside to be let in. She’d never been much of a club-goer, not even when she was at college. And not because she’d been too young to get in either (because of course she’d had a fake ID). It just wasn’t her scene. But the nightclub circuit very much had been Oliver’s scene, once upon a time. All those TMZ videos that were archived online proved that. 

“It’ll be fun, I promise,” he assured her, noticing her hesitation. 

_We’ll see about that._

The door opened and Dig stood there, looking imposing for all the people in line who were now gawking at their limo. Oliver got out first and helped her out, just as he had at the gala. Felicity felt her exit was a little more smooth this time. She felt his hand at the back of her dress and looked over her shoulder to see him pinning the back of her skirt up to some hidden hooks at the waistline, so she could move without worrying about stepping on it. Wow, that was pretty handy. 

She could feel the eyes of those waiting in line trained on her and Oliver as he escorted her to the door where they were promptly let inside without question. 

_Its pretty nice being a VIP._

Inside was exactly what Felicity expected from a glitzy, exclusive nightclub. Music provided by a DJ boomed, lights flashed and spun, and beautiful people were everywhere. Dancing on the dance floor, pushing their way up to the glittering bar that spanned the entire back wall of the club, and clustered in groups around the tables and booths scattered around the edges of the room. The pounding beat thrummed through her body as Oliver lead her over to a staircase that was blocked off with a velvet rope. 

An employee saw them approaching and quickly pulled the rope back to allow them up the stairs. “Have a good evening, Mr. Queen.”

Oliver nodded at the staff member and ushered Felicity up the steps, his hand at her lower back. People all over the club were watching them and Felicity fought not to fidget. So she lifted her chin and tried to pretend like she belonged there. 

Waving to several people he knew, Oliver lead Felicity to a secluded booth in the back corner of the VIP section. It overlooked the first floor of the club, and the dance floor, while still being sheltered from view. 

“This is your usual spot?” she asked him as she took a seat. 

He slid in beside her. “When I still come here… I used to be here every weekend but lately, I haven’t had as much time.”

As though to lend validation to what he’d just said, a voice boomed out across the VIP section. “Do my eyes deceive me? Is that my best friend Oliver Queen? At my club? What have I done to deserve this honor?”

Oliver stood up and embraced the owner of the voice, a tall and rakishly handsome dark haired man. “It hasn’t been that long, Tommy.”

“Three months by my counting. And then four months before that. Only twice in the last _year_ have you been in here,” Tommy said pointedly. He looked to the booth then, noticing Felicity. “Is this who I have to thank for your reappearance? Who is this enchanting vision?”

Oliver helped Felicity out of the booth and she extended her hand towards the man she now knew was Oliver’s oldest friend (according to the magazines), Thomas Merlyn. Instead of shaking her hand, Tommy took her hand in his, gently, and bent over her knuckles, winking at her before bushing the lightest of kisses there. Then he grinned. 

Felicity simply forgot her words at the simple, gallant gesture. Well, okay, it had more to do with the handsome man behind the gesture, but still. Oliver cleared his throat. “This is Felicity Smoak. She was kind enough to join me at the children’s center gala tonight. Felicity, this is my good friend, Tommy Merlyn.”

“Well, well, well. I thought I knew all the gorgeous young women in this town. Seems I was mistaken.”

Sure, he was laying it on pretty thick, but the twinkle in his eyes let her know that he was having some fun. “It’s lovely to meet you, Mr. Merlyn.”

“Oh please, call me Tommy. All my friends do and any friend of Oliver’s is a friend of mine. Please, make yourselves at home here. Order whatever you like, it’s on the house.”

Felicity smiled. “Thank you, Tommy.”

“Honestly, if I wasn’t such a good friend, I’d probably be stealing you away from Oliver as we speak. Alas, I’ll have to abstain tonight.”

“How ever will you manage,” Oliver said dryly. 

With another wink, Tommy disappeared into the crowds again and they sat down in the booth once more. Moments later a waitress arrived with a tray of shots and left it on their table. Felicity raised her eyebrow. 

Oliver chuckled. “That’s Tommy’s signature move. Whenever I come here, he sends over a tray of shots.Here.”

He handed her one of the glasses and lifted one for himself. She raised hers in the air. “To indecent proposals.”

He smirked a little. “Is that what this is?”

“Yep.” Then, she knocked back the shot. Oliver chuckled and followed suit. The alcohol burned down her throat and filled her belly with warmth. 

After a little idle chatter and another a shot, a new song was cued up by the DJ and it was one of Felicity’s guilty favorites. “Ohh… let’s dance!” she suggested, watching the pulsing dancing on the floor below them. 

“I don’t dance,” Oliver said. 

One look at his face told her he was completely serious. “Never? Not even just to be silly and have fun?”

He shook his head. “It’s not my thing. But, please, you go ahead.”

Felicity bit her lip, looking down at the gyrating crowd. Normally, it wasn’t her thing either, but she was wanting to let loose tonight. “Are you sure?”

“I insist.” He leaned forward then, his lips next to her ear. “I’ll enjoy watching you.”

_Well. When he put it that way…_

She tossed him a smirk as she got up from the table and sauntered to the stairs. She held the hem of her dress up a little, flashing her golden heels, and held the railing as she slowly descended the stairs. It was a precarious thing in her new heels but she made it to the bottom without tripping and embarrassing herself so that was all well and good. 

Felicity made her way onto the dance floor, making sure she positioned herself where Oliver could get a good look from the VIP balcony above. Then, she lost herself to the beat. 

No, she’d never been much of a club-goer but she had liked to stage impromptu dance parties in her dorm room and now in her apartment. Sometimes it really helped to clear her mind or release the tension when she’d been sitting too long studying or working on a project. The dancing came naturally to her, as she moved her body to the beat of the song. It thumped and pounded and she felt it down to her bones. Closing her eyes and bring her hands up to her hair, she could almost pretend like she was alone. 

Except she could feel the heat of Oliver’s gaze on her. Knowing he was watching every movement she made. Felicity began to dance for him, for his eyes only, letting the sultry baseline move her. She kept dancing through the next song and the one after it, until she could feel sweat beading on her chest underneath her dress and making the hairs stick to the back of her neck. 

Finally, out of breath, she climbed the stairs again and found the booth were Oliver sat, waiting for her. 

He was watching her, like he was a wolf stalking his prey and she was the prey. His blue eyes were dark as she drew near the booth and he didn’t say a word as she sat down. As soon as she was settled, he reached over and pulled her next to him. Felicity went willingly, her nerves melted by the shots she’d had and the dancing she’d done. 

Speaking of shots…. Oliver handed her another and took the last one off the tray. He clinked his glass to hers and threw it back. She swallowed hers too, watching him as she did. His eyes were still dark but he was no longer looking at her eyes. He was watching her lips, where her tongue had darted out to swipe at an errant drop of vodka. 

The heat in their quiet corner of the VIP section spiked. Suddenly, Felicity was all too aware of how close Oliver was sitting to her, the blue of his eyes, the shape of his lips, the bristles of the scruff that lined his jaw… His scent, earthy and masculine, rose up around her and Felicity found herself leaning closer to him. 

Her eyes drifted shut and she half expected to feel his lips on hers. But instead, she felt his hand on her thigh, stroking softly through the silky fabric. She opened her eyes and found Oliver intent on her, his eyes blazing as he used his fingers to slowly pull up the hem of her dress. 

Was he really doing this? Here, in this club? It was bold on a level that she had absolutely zero experience with. Then again, their booth was sheltered not just from the dancers below but from the rest of the VIP section. Still… there was something thrilling about him wanting to touch her in such a public setting. Another VIP or Tommy could step up to their table at any moment and see what Oliver was doing. 

What did it say about her that the thought of that thrilled her?

So she watched his hand, as his fingers inched up the fabric, shifting in her seat to allow the fabric to move. Would he do it? Would he actually touch her? God, she hated herself for it but she wanted to know. She should hate this whole situation, a situation that he put her in, but she couldn’t. Especially not at the first feel of his fingertips on the skin of her thigh. 

After that single, electric moment, Felicity gave herself over to what Oliver was doing. She could feel the calluses on his fingertips as he stroked the soft skin of her thigh, moving slowly upwards towards the apex of her thighs. She was breathing hard, biting her lip to keep from begging him to give her what she needed. 

Oliver said nothing but he did lean forward to nudge her jaw with his nose and she tipped her head back onto the back of the booth. His lips brushed the pulse point beneath her ear at the very time she felt his fingers stroke over the fabric of her underwear. She bit back a gasp, trying to keep her hips still. 

“Shhh,” he murmured into her skin. “Don’t let anyone hear you…”

His voice was low and throaty and she found herself melting at just the sound of it rasping over her skin. She choked back a groan, desperate now to keep quiet, as he used his pinky finger to push the fabric of her underwear aside so he could touch her more directly. 

He avoided where she wanted him to touch her the most, instead stroking lightly around her outer lips. She swallowed a whimper, clutching at his arm to keep steady. 

“You’re very wet, Felicity,” he said quietly, before kissing the lobe of her ear softly. “You _do_ want this, don’t you? You don’t have to lie. It’s just you and I. And I can feel your desire right here at my fingertips.”

Her heart was pounding, thundering like a freight train. Felicity wanted to push his hand away and tell him she didn’t want him but it’d be a lie and damned if he knew it too. Something about this man drew her to him like a moth to a flame and she was helpless to resist the pull. 

Oliver was finally pressing his fingers more firmly against her, stroking against her inner lips and circling around her needy clit when he drew away entirely. She wanted to cry out in outrage that he’d stopped, wondering if he’d done so in order to take her to a private room to finish what he started. But instead, she watched through heavy lids as he drew his fingers into his mouth and licked them clean, quirking an eyebrow at her. 

_Holy shit_. 

Then, he pulled his phone from his pocket and sent a quick text. Felicity was still trying to catch her breath when he pulled her up and out of the booth and towards the stairs. For a crazy moment, she thought he was rethinking his stance on dancing. But then she noticed he was leading her towards the exit. 

Oh yes, he was taking her somewhere all right. Felicity had the feeling the evening’s “main course” was finally going to be served. 


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The date progresses... with all that implies.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> We've arrived at the "meat" of the date, the twelve hours. That means there's smut in this chapter, folks. If thats not your thing, feel free to skim. There's some other good nuggets interspersed in there, where they each have a chance to show a little vulnerability. Consent was a big deal with this chapter. And I hope I hit the right note. I certainly tried to. 
> 
> I'm also loving everyone's comments. Your insight and enthusiasm are golden and I appreciate it so much. Thank you all so much and I'm glad you're all enjoying this story. I also hope you enjoy this chapter, which should provide a nice... release. ;) 
> 
> Big thanks again to my ladies on Twitter (you all know who you are) and especially to @lexiblackbriar for making me so many beautiful posters, including the one featured below.

Ten minutes later, Oliver was ushering her into his exclusive apartment building. Felicity waved to Diggle over her shoulder, glancing back to see the big man smirking after them and shaking his head. 

The ride over had been filled with sexual tension but neither of them had acted on it. In fact, they’d sat at opposite ends of the backseat the entire ride. With the partition down, Diggle chatted to them about things Felicity couldn’t even remember. She’d been busy watching Oliver and Oliver had been busy watching _her_. 

_This was it. This was really happening._

Felicity still didn’t know how to feel about it. Now that she’d had some fresh air and cleared out the fog of lust that had settled over her at the club, she was back to wondering what on earth she was doing. And if she had enough nerve to actually _do it_. 

After a wave, smile and a “Good evening, Jerome” to the security guard at the desk, Oliver steered her right towards an elevator marked “penthouse A”. 

“Is this elevator all yours?” she asked as he fit a key in a lock and the doors slid open. 

“Yes, all mine,” he replied as they stepped inside the mirrored enclosure. 

Felicity whistled lowly. “Pretty swanky.”

“Good security, too. Which was my primary concern when I purchased in this building.”

She fully expected him put the moves on her in the elevator. But, instead, Oliver stood on the other side of the elevator, just like he’d sat on the other side of the limo from her. And he watched her. He stared like he was undressing her with his eyes and Felicity fought not to fidget. She couldn’t remember the last time she’d been looked at like this. Even by Cooper. 

_Had_ Cooper ever looked at her like this? 

The elevator rocketed up to the top of the forty story tower, but glided to a smooth stop before opening onto an expansive foyer that was probably bigger than her and Cooper’s entire apartment. 

“Wow,” Felicity breathed as she stepped out, looking up and all around. 

“Not too bad, huh?” he asked, coming up beside her. “It was the foyer that sold me this apartment, after the security. Well, the foyer and the view. Come on. You have to see this.”

He grabbed her hand and pulled her forwards, through an arched doorway and into the great room. Felicity was distracted by the sheer scale and opulence of the room. The ceiling was two stories tall, with windows spanning the entire length of the room. The furnishings were tasteful and stylish and like something out of an HGTV show. It took her a moment to see past that to the view Oliver was so proud of but she did see it. 

Magnificent was too small a word to describe it. The city stretched out beneath them like a glittering blanket of diamonds. She could make out several of the most distinctive skyscrapers, the nearest being the Queen Consolidated tower. Beyond that, she could see the harbor and the bay, the city lights sparkling off the surface of the water. She could even see the dark shadows of the Glades, tucked beyond the downtown like a dirty secret. From this height, though, it all looked beautiful and perfect and she felt such a swelling of pride for her adopted home town. 

“Come on out to the balcony,” Oliver said, tugging on her hand. She noticed a door to the side of the spacious living room that lead onto a large concrete terrace. There was a hot tub and various outdoor furnishings, but Oliver wanted her to come to the balcony railing. 

Felicity complied, though with a little reservation. Oliver noticed, grinning as he tugged her to his side. “Afraid of heights?” he asked. 

“A little,” she admitted. “I don’t know if I’ve ever been up this high before.”

The city sounds were muted at this height, making a steady hum of noise that was more comforting than it was distracting. “That’s QC… but what’s that building there?” she asked, pointing. 

“That’s Palmer Tech,” he told her. Taking her hand he moved her pointing finger a little to the west. “And that’s Merlyn Global Group… and that’s Kord Industries.”

She shivered a little, but it had nothing to do with the cool night air. She wanted her business, her and Cooper’s business, to be one of those notable buildings one day. They had such a long way to go to get there, but with this money from Oliver, the dream was closer than ever before. 

“Cold?” Oliver asked, rubbing her arms. 

Felicity shook her head. “No. Just doing a little day dreaming.”

“Oh? Share with me?”

She hesitated a moment. Oliver was still her boss and she was dreaming about becoming his competition one day. At the same time… sharing herself with him felt natural. And it wouldn’t be a secret much longer, hopefully. “I mentioned to you before that Cooper and I have a plan to start our own company. See, ever since I was a little girl, seven years old and building computers with my dad, I’ve wanted my own company someday,” she told him. “I know it sounds like a silly thing for a little girl to dream about but I wasn’t like most little girls. I liked to read and take apart electronics and play with circuit boards. Plus, before he left, my dad always acted like it was a good thing that I wanted this. He encouraged me.”

Oliver’s arms came around her and she rested back against his chest, his warmth seeping into her. “Go on,” he urged. 

“That’s why I worked so hard in school, I graduated early, I got the scholarship to MIT… it was all stepping stones to my dream. But it wasn’t complete yet. I met Cooper my freshman year and he wanted the same thing as I did. He used to say he wanted to revolutionize the way big companies did business. He was a bit of an anarchist, power to the people and all that, and he really wanted to make technology accessible to everyone. I really admired that. So we joined our dreams together.”

Oliver hummed but it wasn’t a pleased sound. “So you and Cooper both made these plans together while you were at school… and carried those plans beyond graduation.” 

Felicity nodded. “It’s been slow going… saving money up is hard. But the money you’ll be giving us… that’ll help a lot. I’ll always be grateful for that.”

He was silent for a long moment and she had no idea what he was thinking. “I’m glad I can help,” he finally murmured. She blew out a breath she hadn’t even been aware she was holding in. “Now, I think, we’ve been putting off the rest of this evening as long as we dare.”

It occurred to her that maybe he hadn’t liked the mention of Cooper. But… Cooper was very much a part of her vision for her future. She couldn’t exactly leave him out. With these thoughts on her mind, she followed Oliver back inside the penthouse. 

“Why don’t you have a seat,” he suggested, gesturing to one of the sofas that was arranged before the fireplace. Felicity dutifully sat while he went to the far end of the room. She looked and noticed that’s where the kitchen was. It was an open concept, sharing the windows and space with the living room. The kitchen was enormous, far larger than she would have expected for a busy bachelor. 

She turned her attention to the rest of the room, noticing the sparse decoration. Everything was beautiful, but it was kind of stark and cold. There wasn’t much about this living room that was very homey. Even the fireplace looked industrial, modern and without warmth. How could a _fireplace_ look cold? Somehow, this one managed it. 

Felicity was busy imagining the things she’d do with this space to change it, to make it look more like a home and less like a museum, when Oliver returned, shoeless, jacket-less and relaxed. He had a few glasses of champagne and he handed her one as he took a seat next to her. 

Her nerves were getting the best of her again and her hand shook as she lifted the champagne glass to her lips and took a sip. How could she do this? She’d just explained to Oliver her big dream, the one she shared with Cooper who was the man she loved and now she was going to… what? Betray him by sleeping with another man? What kind of woman did that? Felicity wasn’t even sure which was bothering the most… that she was doing this or that she _wanted_ to do this. Because… no mistake… she really wanted to sleep with Oliver. And every time she allowed herself a moment to really digest that fact, she felt like a fraud and a cheat. 

She wanted Oliver to make the move, to kiss her and touch her and take her to his bedroom or wherever it was he wanted to get this done. She wanted to give over her own choice in this simply because she wasn’t all that sure if she could live with herself afterwards. Because she knew what choice she was going to make. 

Oliver sipped his champagne, watching her. Once she realized how quiet it was in the room and how intently he was staring at her, her nervousness ratcheted up several notches. She took a large gulp of champagne, nearly choking on it. With a sigh, Oliver sat forward and took the glass from her. He set it and his own glass on the table. 

“I know what you’re doing.”

“What am I doing?” Felicity asked, focusing on her hands in her lap, lacing her fingers together. 

“You want me to force this issue. To make you sleep with me so you won’t have the guilt of cheating on your boyfriend,” Oliver explained. 

Felicity wasn’t even sure why she was surprised that he figured out exactly what she’d just been thinking. “Maybe I’m just nervous, you ever consider that?” she asked, feeling peevish. 

“Oh, please. Back at the club you were nervous, but once I touched you, you bloomed like a flower. In the ride over here, the trip in the elevator… I saw your eyes. You wanted me to touch you then. You want this now. But you don’t want to want it.”

“Is it so strange that I feel bad about cheating on my boyfriend?” she snapped. 

“No, it’s not strange at all,” Oliver said. “That just means you’re normal, Felicity. But I want to make one thing very clear to you: I do not force women to sleep with me. And I’m not going to force you.”

Felicity finally met his eyes and he looked as serious as she’d ever seen him. Her heart pounded in her chest. “I don’t need you to force me.”

“You think you do,” he said. “But you really don’t. You’re going to submit to this, give over to me, and it’s going to be because you want to. By the time I fuck you, your boyfriend isn’t going to factor into this at _all_.”

She swallowed, her throat suddenly dry. No matter how badly she wanted to argue with him, she couldn’t because she knew he was right. She might hate that was right, but Felicity had never been the sort to ignore facts and she wasn’t going to start now. She did want Oliver, even though a part of her kept shouting how wrong it was. Him forcing her to have sex with him would make this so much easier on her conscience, but she also understood that wasn’t what either of them wanted. 

Tonight was his, she’d signed papers and made deals and that was irrefutable. Tomorrow she could agonize over the choices she’d made that brought her here. But right now, she was in this moment and instead of hiding from it, she needed to confront it. Head on. 

_Like the badass you are_ , she told herself. 

“You’re right,” she finally told him. “I don’t want to hide from this.”

She moved then, towards him, dragging a sofa pillow with her. Oliver watched her, his eyes growing heated as she drew nearer. Felicity never had been great at the seductress routine, but the way he was looking at her was giving her all sorts of confidence. 

She dropped the pillow at his feet and he followed it with his eyes, and then looked back up at her with a questioning look. Felicity just smirked at him as she moved off the couch to kneel on the pillow. Understanding dawned and his face relaxed. She grinned as she ran her hands up his legs, nudging them apart so she could settle between them. 

Oliver acquiesced easily to her maneuvering him and he never took his eyes off of her. She gathered the skirt of her dress around her knees so she wouldn’t be resting on it too much and so she’d be comfortable and have freedom of movement. Then, she resumed stroking his legs through his trousers, digging her fingers in a little as she neared his groin. 

Felicity let her fingers travel further, feeling the outline of him underneath his trousers. She could feel him hardening as she brushed his fingers over his length and got her first impression of his size. _So, the rumors are true_ … She smirked and he smirked back. From what she could tell so far, he had every reason to be smug. 

Now that it was clear what her objective was, Felicity got to work on the button and zipper of his trousers. She wasn’t sure how she could make that task sexy so she just worked efficiently and Oliver must have been fully on board because he lifted his hips helpfully when she started to pull the trousers and his boxer briefs down in one go. 

When his hardening dick popped free, Felicity had a hard time concentrating on removing his pants. Had she thought he was gifted? No, that was a small word for something that was very… _not_ small. Blessed, perhaps. Or maybe that was just her perception. 

She blushed as she struggled to refocus on what she was doing and when Oliver caught her eye, he was grinning knowingly. “You know, smugness isn’t an attractive quality,” she muttered as she tossed the trousers and boxer briefs aside. 

He opened his mouth to reply, probably with something snarky and insufferable, so Felicity cut him off by leaning up and licking a line up his cock, from the base to the swollen tip. His jaw snapped shut and his hands grabbed at the sofa cushions. Felicity fought a smirk as she leaned back down, paying attention to the base of his impressive cock. She ran her tongue around, licking at his balls before taking them in her hand and rolling them while she moved up his length with her lips. She took her time before she finally took him fully into her mouth, swirling her tongue around as she took him still deeper. She moved her hand to the base, squeezing as she lifted off and bobbed back down again. 

Oliver groaned and she peeked up to see his head lolling back on his shoulders. He was surrendering to her touch and there was something so sexy and empowering about that. Felicity redoubled her efforts, sucking enthusiastically while moving her fist up and down the length. She tongued around the head of his dick, enjoying the helpless noises of pleasure that came from Oliver when she did so. 

At one point, she paused to reach down and take his hands in hers. She lifted them to her head, indicating that it was okay for him to hold her head. She didn’t mind, and in fact, rather wanted him to. His fingers tightened in her hair before pulling it into a ponytail while she engulfed his dick once more. He tasted amazing and she’d never considered a guy’s dick as tasting amazing before. But there was something spicy and musky and different about him. Maybe it was just the situation. She was letting go of her inhibitions and just doing what felt right and for the first time in a while, it felt like her heart was soaring free. 

The fact that Oliver seemed to be very much enjoying her ministrations was pretty fantastic too. He arched his back, struggling to keep his ass planted on the sofa and not thrust up into her mouth. His fingers pulled at the strands of her hair and tightened on her head. The sound of his gasps filled the room along with the filthy but erotic sounds of her mouth on his dick. 

“Felicity…” he groaned. “I’m gonna—“

She popped off for as long as it took her to say, “Come in my mouth, Oliver.” Then, she was sucking him deep, as far as she dared, hollowing her cheeks and Oliver cried out. His release filled her mouth and she swallowed, drinking him down and stroking him through what looked like a pretty shattering orgasm for him. 

She sat back on her heels, wiping at the edges of her mouth with her fingers and feeling more than a little smug. Oliver was resting his head on the back of the sofa, his chest rising and falling with panting breaths. Slowly, he raised his head and looked at her, his eyes blown and his hair a little mussed. He looked thoroughly ravished and it made her grin. 

“Well, Ms. Smoak, _that_ was a hell of a way to kick off the rest of the night.”

Feeling her confidence returned to her, Felicity had to agree. 

***

Oliver pulled her through the living room and down a short hallway to another room. His bedroom. It was almost as large as the living room, with an enormous platform bed dominating the center of the room. Like in the living room, there were enormous floor-to-ceiling windows that looked out on the city and let in the sparkling light. The walls were paneled in dark wood, the linens were a dusky blue… everything was very understated but clean and modern and very masculine and exactly what she would have expected from him. 

The mirror mounted on the ceiling was, perhaps, _not_. 

“Nice mirror,” she said, gesturing to it. 

“It came with the apartment,” he told her, never taking his eyes off of her. “Now… strip for me.”

Felicity raised her eyebrows. “Just like that? And they say romance is dead,” she muttered.A thrill of nervousness and excitement shot through her. 

Oliver sat near the end of the bed, unbothered by only wearing a button down shirt that reached the tops of his thighs. He’d discarded the tie after the blow job. “Who said anything about romance? I want to see you strip for me.”

It should have sounded crass, and it would have without the tone in his voice. But his voice was low and full of desire, his eyes dark and hooded, his lips parted. He wanted a show and he wanted her to give it to him. 

Felicity had never viewed herself as a particularly sexy person. It wasn’t that she didn’t like sex, she very much _did_ (and often worried if her appetites were too much and too different for Cooper but that wasn’t something she should be thinking about right now). It’s just that she was clumsy more often than not and while she knew she was reasonably attractive, she wasn’t exactly at _va-va-voom_ levels. Her boobs were pretty small. She was short, with small hands and small feet and there wasn’t much that was long and elegant about her at all. 

That said, a lot of sexiness was based in the mind and Felicity was still riding the high from that blow job she’d given Oliver. He’d made her feel sexy. No… she’d made _herself_ feel sexy. So she was sure she could do this too. 

Holding Oliver’s gaze, she reached behind her for the neck fastenings of her dress. She held an arm over her breasts, keeping the fabric up as she shimmied a little. The shimmy hid her reaching back to unzip the dress from her lower back. As soon as she felt the fabric come loose around her hips, she raised her arm and let the dress fall to the floor. 

Felicity stood before Oliver, wearing only her plain black thong underwear and her glittery heels. The impulse to cover her breasts was strong, but she focused on keeping her arms down. She let Oliver get a good look, his eyes devouring her figure hungrily. 

“C’mere,” he said, lifting a hand and gesturing to her. 

She walked to him, stepping between his knees when he spread them. His fingers teased at the back of her knees and up her thighs, making her want to shake but she held still. He kept going until his fingers coasted over the cheeks of her ass and then toyed with the waistband of her thong. He tugged on it, pulling it over her hips until it fell down her legs. Felicity stepped out of it, kicking the discarded garment aside. And now, except for the heels, she was completely naked in front of him. 

It should have felt awkward. But all Felicity felt in that moment was the heat between them and her own arousal building and pooling in her core. Oliver’s intensity stoked the fire inside of her in ways she hadn’t even been aware that it could be. It was intimate, but it was also hot as hell. 

“Gorgeous,” Oliver murmured, bringing his fingers around to the front of her thighs. He used his thumbs to urge her legs apart. 

He stroked her again, the calluses on his fingertips rough against her skin and she found she really liked it. Why a man like him, who worked in a high rise, had calluses, she had no idea and she did intend to ask him about it sometime. But Cooper definitely did not have them and the difference to her nerve endings was startling and erotic. When he touched the juncture of her thighs, Felicity bit into her lip to stifle her gasp. 

“Let me hear you,” he instructed, his voice rough.

With one finger, he parted her folds and stroked between her lips, circling her entrance before circling her clit. Then he repeated the movement until Felicity moaned so loudly it echoed off the walls. 

“You’re wet for me, Felicity,” Oliver told her. “Is this from when you sucked me? Or did it happen while you stripped for me.”

“B-both,” she stuttered as he pressed his finger into her slick passage. His thumb rubbed around her clit, without ever really touching it, making her jerk her hips towards him, yearning for more contact. 

“Ah ah,” he chastised. “I get to call the shots, remember?” 

_Apparently he had meant in bed as well. Why was she surprised?_

Her thoughts were obliterated when another finger joined the first, stretching her lightly, pressing against her walls and making her groan. She reached out, bracing her hands on his shoulders so she wouldn’t fall to the floor. This wasn’t a simple finger-fucking. He was moving too precisely, too thoughtfully, he was staring at her in a way that made her think it was so much more than that. It felt like he was trying to claim ownership on her soul by coaxing it out of her with the crook of his fingers. 

His fingers brushed a spot inside of her that made her cry out. He steadied her hips with one hand, his fingers firm on her flesh. Then he proceeded to repeatedly stroke that spot, adding another finger inside of her. The stretch burned a little but it felt better than anything had in a long, long time. His thumb began to flick her clit and she could feel the tension coiling like a spring deep inside. Oliver sped up his fingers, curving them and making her shake with the sensations that were building inside of her. 

“Come for me, Felicity, let me see you let go,” he urged. 

Somehow, his words are what caused the tightly wound spring to snap inside of her. He pressed hard on that spot, rubbed his thumb over her clit and she felt everything just let go, like an explosion. Her vision whited out for a moment and she knew she must have cried out but she couldn’t even hear herself over the rushing in her ears. 

Felicity was aware of strong arms coming around her, holding her and keeping her on her feet. It was warm so she clung back. As she came back to herself, she realized her cheek was pressed to the white cotton of Oliver’s dress shirt and he was stroking her back softly. 

“Okay?” he asked, drawing back to look her in the eye. 

She nodded. “Wow… that was…”

His expression changed, turning a little smug. “I know. I saw.”

Felicity wanted to swat his arm or tell him not to be too proud but honestly, he had something to be proud of. That was probably the quickest she’d come in her whole life. And on his _cue_ , no less. The man definitely had skills. 

She expected him to pull her to the bed, but instead, Oliver put a little distance between them. “You have a choice,” he told her. 

That wasn’t quite what she was expecting him to say. “A choice?”

“You can choose to leave now. I’ll have Diggle drive you home. I’ll clear Cooper and you can repay the bond money I posted.”

“But…?”

Oliver looked almost sad. He nodded slowly. “Fine, I’ll cover the bond.”

“Wait… I don’t— Oliver, why are you saying this?”

“I don’t want you here because I paid you or because you want to help your boyfriend.” He spat the last word as though it tasted awful. “I want you here because you want to be here. Because you want me.”

_Oh_. Felicity understood that this was her moment. She could back out now, stay faithful to Cooper, at least mostly. The night could end here. He was giving her an out… but he was giving it because he wanted her to want to be there with him. There was something incredibly vulnerable about that. And just like that, Felicity realized she wouldn’t want to be anywhere else.

“I want you,” she told him simply, stepping towards him. “I want to have sex.”

He regarded her for a moment, searching her eyes, looking for any hint of doubt. When he didn’t find any, he moved. 

In an instant, he was behind her, turning her so she faced the bottom of the bed. “Bend over,” he rasped in her ear. 

Her face flamed as she obeyed, bending over the footboard of the bed so her ass stuck up in the air. She tried not to think too hard about how exposed she was like this, reminding herself that Oliver likely found this very sexy. She gripped the bedspread in her fists as she felt him move behind her. Peeking over her shoulder, she could see him unbuttoning his shirt, revealing the chiseled physique underneath. Her mouth fell open as she spied a six-pack of abs… no, wait. It was an _eight_ pack. Of course, she knew he was fit, but there was no way she could have known he looked like _that_. 

Oliver reached up to run a hand over her ass and Felicity turned her face back to the bedspread. His hand was so warm on her backside, and his touch was so gentle she had to bite back a moan. He reached down, running a finger down her slit, testing her. 

“You ready?” he asked her roughly. 

“Yes,” she replied, hoping it didn’t sound as needy to him as it did to her own ears. 

“You look amazing like this,” Oliver told her. “The heels make your legs look so long and they just… pop your ass up in the air. You look like a _feast_.”

Felicity fought not to whimper. 

His touch became more deliberate, a finger slipping inside of her. “Still so wet… I think you’re definitely ready for me.”

She bit her lip and waited. She’d had that man in her mouth not that long ago. Barely. He was not small and she knew it was going to be a tight fit. Felicity wiggled her hips a little, hoping to entice him. 

Oliver growled a little as he grasped her hip in one hand. With the other, he directed the head of his cock to her entrance, rubbing it along her slit and gathering her arousal, making himself slick. Felicity pushed back on him, needing more contact but he gave her rear a little swat and held her firm. 

The sting radiated through her, spreading warmth and arousal throughout her and making her groan into the bedspread. But before she could react properly to that, she felt him push inside of her. 

Felicity gasped, gripping the bedspread. His girth stretched her but he kept pressing and murmuring encouragements to her. Then, he started moving. Pull out, push in… Felicity could only lay there and experience it as Oliver thrust into her, his pelvis smacking into her rear and filling the room with raunchy noises. She could not help the noises that spilled from her mouth as he fucked into her. It was hard and fast and it felt _fantastic_. 

She’d never had sex like this before. Oliver was controlling her, holding her still, steering her pleasure and she could do nothing. Being vulnerable wasn’t easy for her, it never had been. Most times, when she and Cooper had sex, it was missionary or her on top, so she’d never really felt the sensation of giving over quite like this before. It felt thrilling and liberating and absolutely amazing. As Oliver reached around to rub her clit, sending her rocketing into an explosive orgasm, Felicity’s cry of exultation echoed off the walls and left her sweaty and spent as Oliver quickly found his own release. 

***

If their first time was explosive, their second time was incendiary. Almost as soon as he came inside of her, he picked her up and placed her on the bed, joining her. Then they started again. Oliver had a most impressive refractory period but he still took the time to make sure Felicity was revved up again. 

_What a gentleman_. 

He’d taken his time, stroking in and out of her and it was so much like when he’d fingered her. Oliver was so purposeful and focused and intent. Felicity had been able to look him in the face that time, see the sweat standing out on his forehead, the dark heat in his eyes, the full lushness of his lips. He hadn’t kissed her yet. She wondered why not. 

When she came that time, the orgasm was no less shattering, but it wasn’t as quick. It came upon her like a wave, slowly and surely but strong. She was left shaking afterwards. Oliver tucked her under the covers, climbing in behind her. 

Felicity was exhausted. She tried to talk but Oliver just nuzzled her shoulder. “Sleep,” he instructed her. 

And apparently, her body liked to obey his commands because she drifted off almost right away. 

She woke up what felt like minutes later, aware of fingers brushing down her arm. For one wild moment, she forgot where she was. But then she caught the flickering light of the city through the windows, felt Oliver’s large, warm body cradled behind her, and relaxed into the soft sheets. It was still night. 

“I hope I didn’t wake you,” Oliver said, sounding alert. Had he slept at all? Or had he just laid there, watching her sleep? 

“What time is it? How long was I asleep?” she asked, her voice rough with sleep. 

“Not long. Maybe an hour. It’s about two in the morning.” 

“I’m sorry. Were you awake this whole time?”

“Don’t be sorry. You needed your rest,” he said, brushing her hair from her shoulder, exposing her neck. “I didn’t mind.”

“Had to be pretty boring,” she remarked, turning in his arms to face him. Felicity wanted to see his eyes, see his face. “Unless you’re in the habit of watching women sleep.”

Oliver hummed a little, looking over her head as though thinking of a distant memory. “I generally don’t have girls back to the penthouse,” he admitted. 

“Really? Where do you… you know.” 

One of his eyebrows lifted. “Where do I have my hookups? Usually at her place. Sometimes at a hotel. But I don’t have many of those, believe it or not.”

“That’s not what the office gossip would have me believe.”

“Oh, and you listen to that, do you?”

“It’s rather hard to ignore when its all they talk about it in the employee lounges.”

“Well, I hate to disappoint the gossipers but… I’m too busy for that sort of lifestyle. Besides, it’s a ‘been there, did that’ sort of thing… I’ve outgrown it, I think.”

“When was the last serious relationship you had?” Felicity asked before realizing that was probably a horribly invasive question to ask. “I’m sorry, that was out—“

“Its fine, Felicity,” Oliver replied quietly. She decided she very much liked the way her name sounded when he said it. “It’s been years since I’ve had a serious relationship. We were high school sweethearts but… it wasn’t the sort of thing that could last once we became adults.”

“I’m sorry,” she said. 

“It happens. We grew apart and it took us longer than it should have to admit the facts.”

This made her think about Cooper and how she’d met him when she was only sixteen. Uneasiness made her stomach churn a little. “Sometimes those old relationships last, though,” she argued. “High school or college sweethearts, that is.”

“How can it, if you both evolve and change?”

“What if you evolve and change together instead of apart? I think Cooper and I—“

With a growl, Oliver was suddenly over her, pinning her wrists to the mattress. His blue eyes flashed in the dimness. “I told you not to talk about him during our time.”

Felicity blinked. “We were just talking about relationships from when we were teenagers, Oliver. I thought—“

“Don’t. Mention. His. Name.” 

“You’re being ridiculous,” she grumbled, trying to writhe out of his grasp. “Let me go.”

“No.” 

“I’m not going to lay here with you if you’re going to be an ass, Oliver. I’ll go sleep on the sofa.”

“You’re going to sleep in my bed because tonight is _my_ night and I call the shots. Remember?”

“You also said you don’t force women. So _let me go_.”

He paused, searching her face. Then, his expression shifted to one of regret. “Felicity, I’m sorry.”

“Will you let me up?” she asked patiently. 

He looked ready to refuse but then released her wrists, sitting back on the bed. The sheet pooled around his waist but he made no move to lay back down. Felicity sat up too, facing him and bringing the sheet up to cover her breasts. 

“What was that?” she asked him quietly. 

“I don’t know. I just… I told you before I didn’t want him mentioned.”

“I know, but… we were discussing childhood sweethearts. It wasn’t a big deal, Oliver. Why did you flip out?”

She noticed he had a hard time meeting her eye, looking over her shoulder instead. “I reacted badly. I just… didn’t want your current…” He paused, and coughed a little. “…relationship to be brought up. Not in this bed.”

Felicity bit back a sigh. She could understand why that bothered him. His reaction puzzled her, it was so sudden and… vehement. Oliver knew full well that she had a boyfriend. But she could see that he regretted upsetting her. And they only had a few hours left. No sense in spoiling it now, she supposed. 

“I still think you overreacted… a _lot_. But I think you can probably also figure out a way to make it up to me,” she told him, lifting one of her eyebrows. 

Again, his expression changed. His eyes darkened and he looked down at her lips… and then lower to where she still held the sheet over her breasts. Felicity felt her nipples stiffen, as though they were aware of the heat of this man’s gaze. 

“I definitely know a way to make it up to you,” he said lowly. He moved again, this time slow and purposeful, like a jungle cat towards his prey. 

Suddenly, Oliver reached out and grabbed ahold of her legs, pulling them so she fell back to the bed with a bounce. Then, he pulled the sheet down and off her body, exposing her again to him. Felicity watched as he moved down the bed, and then pushed her legs apart, settling between them. She grinned, pleased that he’d had the same thought she had. It’d been _years_ since anyone went down on her and she just had a feeling Oliver would excel at it. 

He kissed up the inside of one of her legs, scratching his scruff along her skin and Felicity arched against the mattress. He parted her legs even further as he moved up her body, finally settling them over his shoulders. She rested her heels on his back, getting comfortable as he smoothed his hands over her thighs and hips and belly before drawing his fingers down her slit. 

She was wondering how long the prelude would last when he used those fingers to part her folds and then he dove right in. Oliver didn’t tease any longer, but applied his tongue enthusiastically to all the proper areas. Felicity cried out, reaching above her to plant a hand on the headboard, hoping to ground herself as he devoured her. He thrust his tongue into her entrance before moving up to her clit to flick that and suck on it. Then he’d repeat. Again. And again. Soon, Felicity was babbling nonsense and trying to push her hips towards his face. His scruff abraded her inner thighs and she wanted to shout with joy at the heady sensation. 

He lifted his head for a moment, catching her eye. “You taste amazing,” he said. “I don’t know if I’ll be able to give this up after tonight.”

_Was he for real?_ Before she could say a word, he bent back to his task, eating her out with a passion that she’d never experienced before. When he finally added a finger, at the same time that he sucked her swollen clit into his mouth and drew on it, Felicity couldn’t help it. She screamed, her hips bucking as her orgasm blew over her, leaving her gasping for air and grabbing at Oliver for stability as he moved up over her. 

He didn’t kiss her, instead bending to press kisses along her collar bone. But Felicity could barely grasp her own name at that moment and Oliver seemed very aware of what he’d done to her. 

“Wow,” she finally choked out. 

“That sounds like a satisfied customer,” he muttered. She felt his dick at her thigh, hard and hot and she reached down to grasp it. 

“In me,” she panted. 

“Who’s calling the shots again?” His eyes glinted and she just knew he was grinning at her. 

“Fuck me, Oliver.”

That was all the encouragement he needed. He threw her legs over his shoulders again and proceeded to screw her brains out. Again. And afterwards, they fell into a sweaty, boneless heap and this time, they _both_ fell asleep. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you have any suggestions for songs you think could/should be added to a music playlist for this fic, let me know in the comments or on Twitter! If I can get enough together, I'll share it out down the line. :) 
> 
> Reminder: there won't be another update until next Monday. I'm sorry for that... but NaNoWriMo starts on Wednesday and I expect (hope) that will take up a lot of my extra time. I hope this is enough to tide you all over for a week! If you have any questions, hit me up on Twitter. I love to chat about my fic. I could be perhaps persuaded into releasing a tease or two. Otherwise, have a nice week and enjoy the Olicity date on Thursday!


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The twelve hours draw to a close... can things to back to the way they were or is everything changed now?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy Monday, fandom! Here's the next chapter. Can you believe I very nearly forgot? This is what taking a week off of updating does to me, I suppose. BIG thanks as always to everyone who is reading and commenting and tweeting about it over on Twitter and reblogging on Tumblr... you guys make my day and make posting my stories worth it. 
> 
> NaNoWriMo is going okay. I'm hitting my goals. It's a different sort of story than this one though, so it's a bit of a downshift mentally. I'm sure it'll be a downshift to read it too, when I start posting sometime in December (since I will still be posting this story at that point). 
> 
> Anyhow... nothing really to warn for in this chapter. Just enjoy the story! Thanks to my ladies on Twitter and to @alexiablackbriar13 for the beautiful poster

Felicity woke up to someone softly calling her name. She blinked her eyes, noticing the grey, diffuse light that filled the room. The night before was like a dimly remembered dream and she might have believed she dreamed it all if she didn’t feel the soreness throughout her body as she stretched. Then, she turned her attention to the voice that had woken her up. 

Oliver smiled down at her, his blue eyes soft. “Good morning,” he murmured. 

“Is it morning already?” she asked sleepily. 

“Nearly. There’s enough time for you to take a shower before I have to get you back home,” he told her. 

Right then, with him looking at her like that and the sleep still tugging at her body and his warmth seeping into her, a shower wasn’t what she had on her mind. Oliver must have seen her desires written on her face because his demeanor shifted. 

“Or we could find some other way to spend the time we have left…”

He moved in behind her, pulling her back against his chest and nuzzling into the back of her neck with his nose. Felicity wiggled in his hold, cuddling down into the warmth of his arms, but her rear brushed against his growing erection, causing him to growl softly in her ear. 

He rocked into her, wedging his length between the cheeks of her ass. One of his hands stroked up her flank before cupping her breast. His thumb flicked at her nipple, making her moan softly. She felt his lips at the back of her neck, kissing her there. 

“Oliver,” she breathed, flexing her hips against him. 

“I want you so much,” he murmured between nips at her heated skin. “How is it that I’ve had you three times and I still want you so badly that I can’t think of anything other than burying my cock inside of you over and over and over…”

_Holy crap._ He was voicing exactly what she was thinking. If anything, her attraction to him had multiplied exponentially overnight. Before, she’d thought Oliver was drop-dead gorgeous, more attractive than any man she’d ever seen. It didn’t seem possible that she could be more drawn to him now than before. But having his attention focused on her, seeing how she aroused him, sharing this intimacy with him… he wasn’t just a handsome face anymore. He was a person. 

Plus, he was very, very good at sex. 

His hands continued to stroke her skin, bringing her out of sleep and into wakefulness, slowly and gently. The fire within her built, ember by ember, spark by spark, until she was pleading with him. Oliver drew back briefly and then she felt him press into her entrance from behind. It was a slow, smooth glide and they both groaned at the joining. He filled her perfectly, completely. Felicity pushed back against him and he matched her movements, flexing his hips slowly so that he filled her over and over again. 

It was slow, comfortable, morning sex and it soothed her as much as it set her on fire. Oliver’s hands were all over her, tugging on her nipples, flicking her clit, building her arousal so thoroughly. His touch was like electricity, hard wired to her erogenous zones. She’d never been this turned on in her life. Hell, she’d never had sex this many times in one night. Then there were all the orgasms…

Felicity grew a little sad then, realizing this was her last time with Oliver. She knew, logically, that she shouldn’t feel this way. She should be looking forward to going home to Cooper. But instead, she wanted to hold on tighter to Oliver, cherish these last moments, draw them out to last a little bit longer. 

“Oliver…” She clutched at his arm where it was banded around her, digging her fingers into the hard muscle there. 

“Shh,” he murmured. “I know.” He squeezed her tighter and began to thrust harder inside of her. 

She wanted to shout, to beg him to slow down, but he began to press on her clit and soon that was all she could focus on. He surrounded her, his mouth open at her shoulder, his breaths panting in her ear, his fingers controlling her pleasure. Far sooner than she would have liked, she was tipping over the edge into bliss and then all she could do was let the waves carry her away while Oliver thrust in two more times before joining her. 

He peppered her shoulders with soft kisses as she panted and waited to regain feeling in her limbs. The warmth filled her entire body and she just wanted to sink into the mattress, and his arms. She made a contented noise. 

“Satisfied now?” he asked. 

“Very,” she said. “I’m going to miss this kind of attention.”

Felicity didn’t know why she said it, and as soon as the words left her mouth, she wanted to pull them back in, swallow them down. Behind her, Oliver stiffened and pulled away, leaving her cold. She berated herself as she heard him get out of the bed and move to the bathroom. She listened to him wash up and hoped that when he came back out, he’d just pretend she hadn’t said anything. 

It wasn’t bringing up Cooper in bed, per se, but it was crossing a line. At least, it felt like crossing a line to her. Sighing, she sat up and looked around, wondering what she was going to put on to wear home. She hadn’t even thought about packing an overnight bag or anything. Why hadn’t she thought about that? Her mind had been so wrapped up in worrying about the date itself that she hadn’t considered even a toothbrush. 

Felicity wrapped the sheet around herself and got out of bed, looking for her dress and the heels. She found them where she’d left them and had just picked up the dress when Oliver emerged from the bathroom. 

“Good, you’re up,” he said, his tone clipped. “We need to meet Dig downstairs, he’s ready with the limo.”

“Do you have a toothbrush I could borrow? I forgot to pack a bag,” she said, standing there awkwardly, holding her dress to her chest, keeping the sheet up around her breasts. 

“Ah. Yes. I’ll get one out for you. I can loan you a t-shirt and shorts to wear home, if you like.”

_Oliver had shorts?_ Felicity looked at the crumpled dress she held in her hand. What had been so gorgeous last night just looked like a Bad Idea to her this morning. A t-shirt and shorts sounded vastly more preferable to her right now. But her shoes… 

“I’m not sure that would go with heels,” she remarked, her shoulders slumping. 

“I can loan you some socks to wear too. You’ll go straight from here to the limo and then up to your apartment.” Oliver wasn’t even meeting her eye, instead looking anywhere in the room but at her. He was acting so odd, so distant. It was like a switch had been flipped. 

“Fine, that works.” 

With a short nod, Oliver disappeared into his closet. A moment later, he reappeared and headed back to the bathroom. She followed along behind him and saw him dig in a drawer for a spare packaged toothbrush. He set it and the small bundle of clothes he carried on the counter. He faced her but his eyes only met hers for the barest of moments. “There’s no time for a shower, please be ready in the next five minutes.”

Then he left her alone. 

Felicity stared at the closed bathroom door with her mouth hanging open. He was acting like… like he couldn’t get rid of her quick enough. Like she was some sort of one night stand that he was ashamed of. Which, technically speaking, she probably was. 

Fine, if he didn’t want her around here anymore, then she didn’t want to be there either. Felicity dropped the sheet with a huff and started to dress in the t-shirt and shorts Oliver had given her. Both hung off her frame and she had to roll the waistband of the shorts to even have a hope of keeping them up on her hips but she managed. 

After she angrily brushed her teeth and ran her fingers through her hair, she stalked out of the bathroom. She left the discarded dress and heels in there. She didn’t want to see them again. 

Oliver wasn’t in the bedroom so she walked out into the living room. He stood at the kitchen counter, dressed in khaki pants and a henley, looking over a newspaper. Felicity grabbed her purse from where she left it and headed for the door. “You coming?” she asked. 

The elevator ride down to the lobby was miles different from the one the night before. Not only did they not speak, but neither of them looked at each other. When the doors opened, Felicity bolted out and headed right for the doors to the street. The sky was brightening considerably, a yellow glow forming in the east. She could see the limo waiting at the curb and Dig standing next to the back door, waiting. 

Felicity rushed out ahead of Oliver and Dig smiled when he saw her, the expression faltering a little when he looked over her shoulder to where Oliver trailed behind her. “Ready to go, Diggle?” she asked, keeping her voice light and even nearly cheerful. 

“Yes, Felicity, I am… I take it you are as well,” he remarked as he opened the door for her. If he found her wardrobe strange, he didn’t let on. A true professional, that Mr. Diggle. 

“Oh, yes. More than.” She slid across the seat. 

Diggle looked in after her. “The bag with the money is right there,” he said, pointing to a plain black duffle that sat across from where she sat.

“Thank you,” she said, looking at it and feeling a strange sort of dread. She quickly directed her attention out the window while Oliver climbed in behind her. 

The atmosphere in the limo was tense as they pulled away from the curb. The streets were virtually empty and Felicity knew it’d only be a few minutes before they arrived at her run-down apartment building in the Glades. 

“Here’s your phone back,” Oliver said, disturbing the silence. He set the phone on the seat next to her and she snapped it up, stuffing it in her purse immediately. She could feel him watching her curt movements. “You’re upset.”

“Oh, you noticed that?” she snapped. 

“The terms are clear that I’m to have you back home by 7 in the morning—“

Felicity turned from the window to face him. “I understand the _terms_ , Oliver. But one minute you’re affectionate and friendly and the guy I spent the last twelve hours with and then all the sudden you turn on a dime and you’re acting like… like… some _stranger_.”

“I thought that might be easier.”

“Easier on _who_? You? Because from where I’m sitting, I kinda feel like some whore doing the walk of shame here.”

“Felicity… that was not what I wanted you— I’m sorry. I just…”

She could see him struggling. On one hand, she was glad for it because he was acting like an ass. On the other hand, she sort of understood where he was coming from. She didn’t like that she understood, but she did. This was a strange situation and a guy like Oliver… well, he was closed off. He’d told her as much himself. Relationships were a strange thing for him. Still, she wasn’t quite ready to go easy on him. 

“I thought last night went well,” she told him. “I—I actually had a good time with you. I didn’t want to leave things on a bad note with you but you were acting so strange.”

“I had a good time too,” he admitted. “That’s part of the problem, I think. I expected to enjoy myself but you… you turned me inside out, Felicity. This morning… after we… I didn’t know what to do with that.”

So it hadn’t been just her imagining the strong connection between them as they’d had sex in the early dawn. He’d felt it too. That made her feel better… and worse. Worse because that horrible feeling she’d felt earlier, about having to leave him and forget about this and move on… it returned tenfold. 

“Oh… Oliver,” she said softly, not knowing what else to say. 

“I didn’t expect it to be so good,” he continued. He was still hesitant to meet her eyes and this time, she thought maybe it was because he was afraid of what she might see in his face. 

Oliver wasn’t saying something, and she had a feeling she knew what it was. Felicity wasn’t sure how she felt about it. The night was catching up with her then, as the first rays of dawn broke through the windows of the limo, and she wanted badly to just sleep for about eight hours. Then maybe she could unpack what had happened last night and how she felt about it. And how she felt about Oliver. 

“I didn’t expect it either,” she mumbled, half to herself. But Oliver heard her. 

“I’d like to have another night with you,” he told her suddenly. 

It was then that he finally met her eyes and really let her look. Felicity was stunned by the offer. “But… Oliver!”

“The same terms, minus the bail and charges of course. Same everything. Another $500,000.”

She was shaking her head without even being aware of it. “That’s a million total,” she breathed. “That’s ridiculous, Oliver. That’s _insane_.”

“Please, Felicity.” He scooted towards her and took her in his arms. “I need to see you again.”

“I—I can’t, Oliver.” She didn’t want to say Cooper’s name but it hung between them regardless. 

“Promise me you’ll think about it,” he said. “Just… consider.”

The limo came to a stop outside her building. Think about it. She could do that. The answer would still be no, but it wouldn’t leave them in a terrible place when she stepped out of the limo. Haltingly, she nodded at him. “I’ll think about it.”

“I’ll take it,” he murmured as he moved his hands to cup her cheeks. Then… he was kissing her. His lips were on hers and it was surprisingly chaste, given all they’d done the last twelve hours. But it was also… beautiful. And stirring. Perfect. Just a simple press of lips together and Felicity felt like something inside her chest was being cracked open. The dawning sun bathed them in light as Oliver drew back, so very slowly. He kept a hold of her face as he drew back just far enough for them both to pull in much needed lungfuls of air. 

She could tell he was fighting the urge to kiss her again. His fingers trembled on her face. She was fighting just as hard not to push forward and kiss him herself. So they took that moment, just breathing each other’s air, grasping for control, and Felicity tried to memorize everything about him. Everything she was going to have to at least pretend to forget once she left this limo. 

Finally, she found the strength to pull away completely. Oliver dropped his hands reluctantly, but he looked just as affected as she felt. 

“Felicity…” he whispered. 

“I have to go,” she said. She didn’t wait for Diggle to open the door. She reached for the handle and, grabbing her purse and the duffle, lurched out onto the sidewalk, into the dawning sunlight. Away from Oliver. 

***

Felicity let herself into the apartment, unsure what to expect. But all she found was a quiet living room. It was messy; littered with beer bottles and pizza boxes and all the game consoles Cooper owned were pulled out and their cords and controllers were spread across the floor. Cooper himself lay sprawled on the sofa, snoring loudly. 

She surveyed the mess, feeling tired and emotional and frustrated. Clearly, Cooper had invited a bunch of a friends over last night to play video games. So, basically like it was any other Friday, really. Sometimes she played games with them, sometimes she hid in her room and watched movies or read and sometimes she went out with Curtis or some other friend. But last night she’d had plans. She’d thought, especially after getting Cooper’s drunk phone call, that he was missing her. Maybe he had and inviting friends over had helped distract him. 

To be fair, she hadn’t really thought much of him either, save for the phone conversation. Plus, she’d been reluctant this morning to leave Oliver. It was good to be home, but she didn’t feel the peace that returning home once had brought her. 

The fact was, Felicity was in no condition to parse through these thoughts and emotions at the moment. She needed a shower, badly. And a nap. In that specific order. Sighing, she set her purse down and the sound must have woken Cooper because he blinked his eyes open, groaning when a beam of light through the living room window cut across his face. 

“Good morning,” she said, wishing unkindly that he’d stayed asleep until she could escape to the shower and sleep. 

“You’re back,” he said, his voice rough. He pushed himself up to sit properly on the sofa, rubbing at his face. “Wow, what time is it.”

“Just after seven.”

“How was it?” he asked. 

Felicity tilted her head. “Do you really want me to answer that?”

Cooper shrugged, as though he couldn’t care less either way. That irritated her. But she also saw that he was feeling uncomfortable in the way he shifted on the sofa uneasily. 

“What are you wearing?” he asked, his brow furrowing. 

Felicity looked down at her borrowed clothes. “Just a t-shirt and shorts. Didn’t think I needed to dress up just to ride home.” 

It was clear the clothes weren’t hers, not that she really thought Cooper would remember what clothes she owned. But the clothes were enormous on her and Felicity didn’t make a habit of buying oversized things, even loungewear. She watched him as he looked and then sighed, clearly not interested in bringing it up. She blew out a breath. 

“Is that the… money?” he asked after another awkward silence, gesturing at the duffle bag which she still held. 

“Uh, yeah. I was going to find someplace in our room we could keep it till we could find a more secure place.”

He made a humming noise. “That’s probably a good idea. I hadn’t considered that.” Cooper shifted again before getting to his feet. He rubbed at the back of his head. “I’m uh… glad you’re back.”

Felicity smiled, relaxing a little. “I’m glad I’m back too, Coop.”

“Hug?” he suggested, moving towards her. 

“Definitely.” She opened her arms and he embraced her. “And then I really need a shower and a nap.”

Cooper pulled away and made a face. “You mean you haven’t had a shower yet?”

She could feel her cheeks heating as the shame built up inside her. “I— no. I didn’t have time.”

He stepped back. “You came here from spending the night with him without even taking a shower? You couldn’t have made time?”

“Cooper… I didn’t— There wasn’t—“

He held up a hand. “Listen. I’m sorry, I just woke up and things are kinda weird right now. Why don’t you take your shower and have your nap and we’ll talk later when we’re both feeling more normal, okay?”

His attitude stung but she couldn’t exactly blame him for it. She might think the same way, if the tables were turned. 

As she took the duffle into the bedroom she realized that, no, she wouldn’t think the same way. Because she never would have gone along with any arrangement where Cooper spent the night with another woman. Did that make her a hypocrite? Because she ultimately hadn’t said no to this. Her thoughts confused her as she walked into the bathroom, stripped off the t-shirt and shorts she wore and set them aside. 

The stinging hot water of the shower felt like heaven as Felicity stood still under the spray, letting it cascade over her. She tried not to think too hard about how it was washing away Oliver’s touch. And other things. There was no sense in getting sentimental about this, regardless how amazing that goodbye kiss had been. 

Shit. He’d _kissed_ her. After not kissing her all night long, not once… he did that right before she got out of the car. All her efforts to keep her emotions apart from the last twelve hours were sabotaged by that one (amazing) kiss. Because now she was wondering if he had feelings for her beyond just lust. The same lust he’d tried to slake with her body last night. She couldn’t speak for him, but as far as she was concerned, the lust wasn’t gone by any measure. So not only did she still want him (and she was pretty sure he still wanted her, given the request for another night), but now there were feelings in the mix. 

That meant she _had_ to turn down his offer. To accept it, knowing that she was on the cusp of falling in love with him, would be disastrous. 

Suitably clean, she turned off the shower taps and stepped out. She wrapped her hair in a towel and another around her body. When she walked out of the bathroom, she noticed Cooper wasn’t in the bedroom. Tossing Oliver’s clothes in the hamper to wash them, she found one of her own t-shirts and some panties and put them on, feeling a bit more like herself. But the woman she was was different now too and no shower or clothes was going to change that. 

Felicity walked out of the bedroom to get a muffin to snack on, since she hadn’t eaten since the night before and was famished. She noticed Cooper wasn’t out in the living room either. He’d left the apartment. Probably for the best. She’d have a nap and then, like he’d suggested, then maybe they could talk and get past this whole thing and move on. 

***

When Felicity woke up, the day was already ending. The sun was going down and the shadows in the apartment were long and silent. Silent because Cooper was still not home. She lay in the bed, feeling the dragging numbness of sleep still pulling at her bones, but her brain was already moving so she knew it was pointless to try to fall back asleep. 

After Felicity put on some yoga pants and washed her face, she walked out into the living room. She felt a restless uneasiness as she stood there, wondering what to do now. 

Then her eyes caught on one of the pizza boxes and she knew what she could do. At least for the immediate future. She fetched a big black garbage bag out of the kitchen and began to bag up all the trash that was still littered around the apartment. 

There was something calming and methodical about it, clearing the garbage and making things look better again. She purposefully pushed away her irritation towards Cooper at leaving it like that. When she finished, she wiped the surfaces down, swept the floor and made sure everything was back in its place again. Finally, the living room looked like her living room once more. 

But, as she stood there surveying her good work, Felicity couldn’t shake the feeling that this apartment just didn’t feel like home anymore. And she wasn’t all that sure if that feeling was new in the last day… or if it’s a feeling that had been growing for a while now. Because she couldn’t quite recall the last time this apartment felt like home to her. Maybe it never really had. 

It was unsettling. 

The knob on the door to the apartment rattled. A moment later, the door opened and Cooper came in, carrying a bag from the taco shop down the street. He stopped just inside the doorway and watched her cautiously, almost like he expected her to bolt or scream or throw something at him. But she just stood there and waited for him to finish coming in and to close the door behind him. 

“Hey,” she said, when he finally did that. 

“Hey. Uh… you picked up, I see,” he said, gesturing to the room. 

Felicity nodded. “Yeah.”

“You didn’t have to do that, I was going to when I got home.”

She shrugged. “It gave me something to do. Where did you go?” she asked. 

“Over to Lonnie’s place.”

Lonnie. One of Cooper’s buddies from Tech Village. Felicity didn’t really like him; she thought he was creepy. Plus, another girl they worked with, Carrie, tended to hang out with him and she knew the red-headed girl liked to flirt with Cooper. She bit her tongue to keep from asking if Carrie was there too. She didn’t really have the right to be annoyed about it anyhow. 

“Is that who came over here last night?” Felicity couldn’t help herself. She could feel Cooper’s silent judgement of her and it just needled her own irritation. 

“Yeah. Him and Carrie and the other guys.”

She bit her lips and decided a change of subject was needed. “You brought tacos?” she asked, nodding at the bag he still held in his hand. 

“Yeah. Thought we could have them for dinner.”

Felicity got them some plates from the kitchen and they sat down to eat at the coffee table. Cooper talked about some game he and Lonnie had tried out that afternoon and she nodded along while eating her dinner. But after she finished her second taco, she knew it was time to talk about the elephant in the room. 

“I think we should talk at least a little bit about last night, just so we can get past it,” she said. 

“Yeah… it’s been bugging me,” he admitted. “I don’t need all the details, I don’t _want_ them… but I do want to know what you guys did.”

So Felicity told him about the gala and the people she’d met there. He made a face but kept quiet. She knew he had a problem with corporate big-wigs but she knew they’d have to deal with them if they wanted their own start-up to be successful. She told him about eating Big Belly and Verdant but left out telling about going back to his penthouse.

“Sounds like an alright time,” he said when she finished. “Kinda boring. I would have thought billionaires would be more exciting.”

Felicity shrugged. She didn’t want to correct him. The truth was, she’d had a marvelous time and it was made better by spending it with Oliver. Seeing the _real_ him made it special and she’d enjoyed her time with him. It’d be a memory she’d always cherish. 

“At least we got 500k out of it,” Cooper said as he helped her clean up the dishes. “It’s not a total loss.”

“Yes, and think of what all we can do with that money.”

He nodded. “Tomorrow, we’ll start planning seriously about getting this company going. Deal?” 

She grinned. “Deal.”

They watched a movie together and then headed to bed. It did feel as though a weight had been lifted and Felicity felt like maybe they could really get past all this and their lives would return to normal. When she came to bed after brushing her teeth, Cooper was already settled in. He was laying on his side, facing the windows and Felicity climbed in. She lay on her back a moment, wondering if she should say something or turn over and hug him. But she stayed quiet and he did as well. He didn’t make any move to embrace her either. It almost felt like he was making a point not to touch her, since he hadn’t done so once since that first hug when she’d returned home that morning. 

Finally, Felicity rolled onto her side, facing the door, and closed her eyes. 


	7. Chapter 7

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Felicity deals with the fallout from her twelve hours with Oliver... and that's not just limited to her relationship with Cooper.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy Monday, fandom! Time for another update from me. I noticed in the comments from last week's chapter that a lot of people were expecting Cooper to run off with the money. Sorry to disappoint. It's not quite as simple as that (and I have doubts that as an MIT educated person, he'd be smarter than to try something like that... then again I completely understand why people had the thought). I will assure you that's not what I'm doing here. You'll just have to read on and see what I did instead. 
> 
> I hope you enjoy this chapter, there's a specific character interaction that I had a great deal of fun writing. I hope you enjoy reading it. 
> 
> Thanks again to my friends on Twitter who encouraged me while I was writing this. And to @lexiblackbriar specifically for creating all these lovely posters for me.

Felicity had high hopes for Sunday. She was excited to get down to the business of planning this start up. Already she had a lot of ideas of rental locations to look into, suppliers they could order from, ways to watch the costs so they could maximize their budget as much as possible. 

She woke up with a fresh outlook, ready to put the events of the previous days behind her in light of moving forward with her dream. Their dream. This was the first step. Once they got this going, and started being successful with it, they could get married, buy a house… start a life together. Maybe even have children one day. Far in the future, of course. Felicity planned to be very busy getting Smoak-Seldon up and running. 

Cooper was every bit as excited to get going on planning the business as she was, which was great. They worked together best when they were on the same page and having him just as enthusiastic about this venture as she was made the whole thing so much more enjoyable. 

However, reality didn’t wait very long to intrude on their happiness and excitement. 

“I was looking at some properties last week,” Felicity said sometime in the midmorning. “I printed out their information. What do you think?”

Felicity pushed the print outs across the coffee table to him and Cooper picked them up. Leafing through, he didn’t look very impressed. “These are in the Glades,” he said. “And this one is… in a strip mall?”

“Property is cheaper in the Glades,” she explained. “These are good buildings, in areas that are trying to revitalize. We can maximize our investment here, have plenty of room to grow. Down the line, if we do really well, we can think about moving downtown. As for the strip mall, that’s probably my least favorite but it’s a highly visible location, right along the major commute routes.”

“I hate it, Felicity,” Cooper said throwing the papers down. “I don’t want to hole up in some drafty loft in the Glades. Or next to a ‘Sak n Save’ either. We have 500k, babe. We can afford something a little nicer than this.”

“The rents closer to downtown are twice as much, if not more. And that’s for half the space!”

“We’ve had to put up with the Glades for three years now, we don’t have to anymore. Forget it, Felicity. We’re going downtown.”

Felicity ground her teeth. She wasn’t done discussing this, but maybe they should move onto other things. Things they could agree on. 

It turned out there were no things they could agree on. Every time Felicity made a suggestion, from computer peripherals to hiring employees, Cooper argued with her. It became clear that where she was interested in conserving as much of the money as they could, he wanted to spend the money to make things easier and take shortcuts. Shortcuts that Felicity wasn’t so sure would yield enough results to justify the outlay. 

And those were just the disagreements about spending money. They argued about other things as well, including the name. He was insisting on Seldon-Smoak Technologies. Normally, she might not have quibbled over that slight a thing, but he was being such a pain about everything else that she was reluctant to give him even that ground. 

“We’re going to have to move too, you realize,” Cooper pointed out. It was getting late by now. They’d been going round and round all day without really getting anywhere and both of them were frustrated. 

“I figured we would,” Felicity agreed. “This place is too small. There’s other larger apartments, even here in the Glades, closer to the buildings I showed you earlier.”

“I’m not living in the Glades anymore, Felicity.”

“Well, then, there’s some apartments near the University—“

“I think we should get an apartment downtown. Doesn’t need to be a penthouse… yet. But something nice.”

“Cooper, those apartments start around $2000 a month, and that’s just for a one bedroom with hardly any space. We’d probably want to have a home office and—“

“We can afford this now, Felicity.”

“For how long, Coop? At 2k a month, we’re going to go through money quick, especially if we’re buying all new furniture. We have no way of knowing how long it’s gonna take this company to start turning a profit. Especially if we’re paying employees.”

“We _need_ employees, Felicity. We’re going to be busy doing the bulk of the major coding and creating. Plus woo-ing investors. We won’t have time for the small things like bug fixes and running a reception desk. We can ask Lonny and Carrie—“

“No, Cooper! No! We can’t afford employees right now on top of everything else and we’re certainly not hiring your slacker friends from Tech Village!”

“Oh sure, I suppose the next thing you’re going to nix is getting a new car!”

Felicity had her Mini Cooper that she’d purchased when they moved to Starling after graduation. Cooper took the bus to Tech Village because they couldn’t afford two cars and it was clear that her job was the higher paying one. Plus it was further from the apartment. If Cooper really wanted, he could walk to Tech Village from here, but he was often reluctant to do so. 

“Actually a car for you is probably a good idea,” she said. “We can look at it as a business investment, especially if you’re traveling to meet with investors and going to lunch and that sort of thing.”

“Yeah but you’re probably thinking of something sensible and boring like a Toyota or a Honda.”

Felicity blinked. “What are you thinking of?”

“I don’t know. Maybe a Porsche. Or… oh hey…. A Tesla!”

She rubbed her temples. Blowing money on a silly sports car was a terrible idea. “I think we should talk to a financial planner,” she mumbled. 

“What the hell for? So they can tell us how to spend our money?”

“No, so they can give us sound advice on what we should focus on and what we can afford, expense-wise.”

“God, Felicity, you really know how to be a wet blanket.”

She felt miserable. It wasn’t like she enjoyed being the bad guy. But she’d grown up with very little money and knew how important being frugal could be. She had a single mother who worked long shifts to make enough money to keep them both housed and clothed and fed. That took a lot of saving, a lot of sacrifice and a lot of hard work. Just because they had $500,000 at their disposal now didn’t mean they should just go out and blow it all. They needed to be smart about this or else all that money would disappear. 

Plus, she knew that creeps came out of the woodwork as soon as they got wind that you had any cash. Felicity fully expected Cooper’s friends to be hitting him up for loans as soon as they learned he’d gotten a windfall. If he hadn’t told them already. The whole thing made Felicity feel incredibly uneasy. 

It was true, she felt some ownership of this money. It was because of her that they had it. Oliver gave them this money in order to spend a night with her. Just because the night hadn’t been pure torture didn’t mean that she didn’t feel some right to it. She felt she should at least have some right in saying how it was spent. 

Felicity also felt some ownership of the business idea. It had been her idea originally. Once she’d shared it with Cooper, he’d gotten excited about it and suggested they go in together. She was young and in love and more than a little naive at the time so she’d agreed readily, excited to share her dream with someone else. But now? It felt like her dream was being taken out of her hands and shaped into something else altogether. 

Frustrated was probably too mild a word for how she felt. 

They were probably both still riding the roller coaster of emotions from her night with Oliver, making them more argumentative. Felicity took a few deep breaths and reminded herself to be patient with Cooper and herself and the whole situation. She needed to remember what mattered here. 

“Let’s just… table some of these ideas for a few days,” she suggested. “I think we’re both still uneasy and upset, I know I am.”

Cooper sighed. “Yeah, you’re right.”

“The important thing is that we do this together, right?”

“Exactly.”

“So lets just spend the rest of today gathering information and compiling our own wishlists. In a few days we can talk and start making decisions.”

“That sounds like a great plan, babe,” he said. 

***

Later on, Cooper went out to get them some dinner. She hated to eat out so much, but she absolutely could not cook to save her life and Cooper didn’t feel like making anything. They both were hungry and they could agree that Indian take-out from down the street sounded perfect. 

As soon as he left, Felicity’s cellphone rang. The number was unknown, which was unusual. She didn’t get a lot of calls and if she did, she generally knew who was doing the calling, like Curtis or Cooper. Curious, she flicked her thumb across the screen and answered the call. 

“Hello?”

“Who is this?” a female voice demanded. 

Okay, that was a bit rude. “This is Felicity Smoak. Who is _this_?”

“Who the hell is Felicity Smoak? Are you dating my brother? I can’t get anything out of him, he won’t talk but he’s messed up and if you broke his heart, I swear to god, I will _end you_.”

Felicity blinked. Wait… brother? “Are you Oliver’s sister?”

“Answer my questions! Am I going to have to find where you live and come call you out?” the girl demanded. 

Felicity sunk down onto the sofa. “Okay, woah. Let’s back up a second. Yes, I know your brother. We… had a date the other night. But I promise you, I’ve done nothing wrong.”

“Well… why is he a wreck then? He’s been grouchy all day and is only speaking to me in grunts. I don’t come home from college very often and when I do, I like to have some quality time with him but he’s ignoring me! I had to steal his phone and go hide in the bathroom to try to figure out what happened.” The girl’s voice sounded much younger now, and when she said she was in college, Felicity remembered Oliver speaking briefly about his little sister. The one he’d had to take care of after his parents died. 

“You’re Thea Queen, right?” Felicity asked gently. 

“That’s right. Look, I’m sorry if I came out swinging. Ollie always says I’m rude when I’m emotional but… what happened? I mean he’s kinda a broody guy but this is another level.”

“I’m sorry he’s not present for you.”

“It’s not your fault. I know I said it was but… I also know my brother. And he can be a doofus, especially about women.” 

Felicity chuckled. “I’m sure he’ll be fine in no time.”

“How would you know? He doesn’t usually get upset about women. Not that he’s really had a steady girlfriend in _years_ , despite how I’ve tried to urge him to get out there.”

“Well, I’m hardly your brother’s girlfriend. It was just a date,” Felicity said, hoping to play it off and that Thea wouldn’t ask any particularly probing questions. 

Thea made a harrumphing noise. “Maybe. But if you’re just a date why did he bite his head off when I asked if he was mad about a woman? It was a simple question, and I’ve teased him that way before. But this time he just shouted that it was none of my business and to stay out of it and that I know nothing about it.”

“Wow, that does sound pretty dramatic.”

“ _Super_ dramatic. Which isn’t really like him, you know? Ever since our parents died, he’s kinda been my rock. I know he has a reputation from when he was younger but when he took care of me, he was completely focused on that. I never felt pushed aside. Well, until today that is.”

“Thea, I’m sorry.”

“So you said your name is Felicity Smoak… but who _are_ you?”

Felicity cleared her throat. “I work at your brother’s company. We, er… met there. He asked me out so we went out. That’s it.” Okay, not entirely true. But Thea did not need to hear the whole story, mostly because it painted her brother in a weird light and Felicity felt sure that Oliver wouldn’t want Thea to know that. 

“There’s something you’re not telling me,” Thea replied. “Oliver had you here at his penthouse. He _never_ brings his casual hookups here.”

“Wha—! How did you know I was there??”

“I found the dress and heels and badgered him until he told them they belonged to his date and she’d left them there.”

_Shit_. “Okay, well… I mean, we just— I, er… he and I—“

“Ah! No, I don’t need any details, _please_. Gross. That’s my _brother_ , Felicity.”

She just knew her face was on fire. “Sorry, Thea…”

“I’m naive. I know what coming here means you two… did. I’m just saying that the fact that he brought you here is a _big deal_. The last girl he brought home was Laurel and that was back when he still lived at home and he was an even bigger doofus back then. He stopped bringing girls over when our parents died and he was taking care of me. And from what I know that sorta carried over into when he moved into the penthouse too. Anyhow. Not the point. The point is… he brought _you_ over and that means you aren’t just an ordinary conquest.”

Of course, Felicity knew about Oliver not bringing women to the penthouse because he’d told her but she’d forgotten the significance somehow and Thea freaking out about it was bringing it all back up again. That combined with the kiss… 

“I honestly don’t know what it means, Thea,” Felicity said. “I don’t know if I’ll be seeing him again—“ _not too likely outside of work, honestly_ “— but I had a great time and I’m glad to hear that he did, too.”

“It’s just… Felicity, can I be frank with you?” Thea asked. 

“Sure, Thea. I mean, we don’t really know each other and you called me all aggressive and were yelling at me but I’m pretty sure it was because you were worried, so I can let that go… youdo seem nice despite all that and Oliver really loves you so…”

“Okay, you’re kind of adorable. I’m starting to see it now.” Felicity could hear the grin in the other girl’s voice. “Anyhow, what I was about to say was… I’ve been worried about Ollie. Ever since I left for college a couple years ago, actually. He spends so much time at work and when he’s not, he’s alone more often than now. Tommy drags him out now and then but he almost literally had to _drag_ him. He’s too young to be so serious. He thinks he’s doing the right thing, what our parents would have wanted but… our parents would have wanted him to be happy. They would have wanted him to find someone and have a life, have a family.”

Felicity chewed her lip. “Thea… I appreciate all this but… where are you going? Why are you telling me this?”

“I want you to understand not just why I’m protective of him (and I am because he’s always been so protective of me), but why I’m paying close attention to how he acts about women in his life. Felicity, he hasn’t acted anywhere near like this for, well, ever. But certainly not in the last eight years. And I don’t think its too far-fetched to wonder if you might not be the one to finally pull him out of his funk and into the land of the living again.”

She didn’t know what to tell the girl. She wanted to reassure her, to tell her something she wanted to hear. That things would work out the way she wanted. That she and Oliver would end up together, happy. But Felicity couldn’t do that. Thea didn’t deserve to be lied to. 

“I don’t think that’s me,” she said after a pause. “I care about your brother and really enjoyed my time with him. But… it’s complicated. It’s not as easy as wanting to be together and being together. I can’t tell you more than that but… just trust me when I say that it’s not my intention to hurt your brother. And that I do hope he finds his peace one day.”

Thea made a humming sound. “Interesting. Very interesting.” She did not sound convinced. And Felicity couldn’t blame her. “Well, I won’t bother you any longer, Felicity.”

“It’s no bother, Thea. I’m glad I got to talk to you.”

“I’m glad too. Hopefully I’ll get to see you sometime. We can go out to lunch. My treat.”

Felicity grinned, even knowing that was never going to happen. “Sure, Thea. I’ll look forward to it.” 

They said their goodbyes and hung up. Felicity hesitated for a moment, looking at the “recent calls” list in her phone. Then she added the number to her contacts, under Oliver. She hadn’t had his number before. Hadn’t asked for it, he hadn’t given it to her. He had her number, but Felicity shouldn’t be surprised. It was easily accessed from her employee records. 

Well. Now she had Oliver’s number too. Though why she’d ever need to use it… 

She sat back and smiled, thinking about her conversation with Thea. Oliver’s little sister was definitely a spitfire and Felicity found she liked her. A lot. Here was a girl who lost her parents at the age of twelve. That could have messed a kid up… after all, Felicity’s dad left when she was seven and she still bore the scars of that abandonment so many years later. But Oliver put his life on hold to raise this girl through her teenage years, made sure she stayed on the straight and narrow, and now that girl was attending University. 

Her protectiveness when it came to her brother was just as endearing as his when it came to her. Felicity was charmed. She wished she could meet her some day, have that lunch together. She thought that in another life, they could have been good friends. 

***

Monday morning came swiftly. The night had gone much like it had the night before, with her and Cooper laying in bed, not touching. Felicity was beginning to admit that getting back to normal with him might take longer than she had expected. That morning, he’d slept while she got ready for work, grunting when she asked him if he was going in for his Tech Village shift later. 

She had idea if that was a yes or a no. 

Felicity took the money with her, duffle bag and all, and stopped at Starling National Bank on her way in. Keeping that much money in a crappy apartment in a crappy part of town made her beyond nervous. She would have liked to talk to Cooper about it before she left but he’d been sleeping _hard_ and didn’t even rouse when she shook his shoulder. She’d let him know when she got home. In the meantime, it was really simple to purchase a safe deposit box and put the money in there. Rather than depositing it, at least right now, it was a way to make sure it was kept safe. 

It felt strange, walking into work, knowing that Oliver was there too. She wouldn’t see him, of course, but she’d know he was there. His offer for a second night replayed in her mind. It wasn’t because of the money, Felicity realized. They had plenty of that with the $500,000. It was for the chance to spend some more time with him. Which… was so, so much worse. 

She hadn’t told Cooper yet about the offer and she didn’t have any plans to either. There was a chance he’d be angry, sure, but Felicity was more worried that he’d want her to do it. For more money. And if he was urging her to do it, there’d be little chance she’d be able to resist her own desires to be back in Oliver’s arms. 

Work was pretty much normal from the moment she walked into the cubicle farm of the IT department. Curtis chattered her ear off, telling her about all the things he and Paul had done all weekend. He talked so much that he never remembered to ask her about her own weekend. Felicity was glad for that mercy because she really had no idea what she’d tell him if he asked. 

Around mid-morning, he asked her if she wanted to go down to the coffee cart in the lobby to get something. Felicity had actually been considering going to the coffee shop down the street, but then she remembered running into Oliver there. He said he stopped there before work usually and it was hours later. But did she want to take the chance? 

No. No, she did not. 

“Sure, let’s go,” she said, grabbing her purse. 

On the elevator ride down, they both chattered about a new phone that was releasing at the end of the week. Curtis was super excited about it, already had his pre-ordered and thought it was the bleeding edge of technology. Felicity argued that if they just waited two more months, an even better phone from an even better company (in her opinion) was coming out and she’d rather wait for that. 

They kept up the argument as they got in line at the coffee cart that was always set up in the QC lobby. Five or so people were ahead of them so they settled in to wait, and keep arguing. 

“I can’t believe you don’t appreciate the aesthetic beauty of the Palmer Tech products, Felicity. I’m seeing you in a whole new light,” Curtis cried. A few people in line turned their heads. 

“Say it a little louder, Curtis, I don’t think everyone heard you the first time,” she hissed. “And I think those products are plenty beautiful. But I think they lag behind the advancements of the Wayne Tech products.”

“All Wayne cares about is a bottom line,” Curtis complained. “He has no soul for functioning technology.”

“And I say they work just fine. Plus, they’re easier to hack,” Felicity said. 

“Hacking is such an ugly word, Ms. Smoak,” a voice over her shoulder said. 

Felicity froze, staring at Curtis. Curtis’ eyes were wide as saucer as he gaped at the man who had joined their conversation. She turned around and found Oliver standing there, holding a coffee cup from the coffee shop. Well. It was a good thing she hadn’t gone there after all but… so much for avoiding him. 

“It’s a hobby,” she blurted. Oliver quirked an eyebrow and she winced. “That… I do not participate in.”

He chuckled and Felicity grew very aware of Curtis nearly vibrating next to her. “Uh, Mr. Queen, this is my co-worker, Curtis Holt. Curtis, this is Oliver—“

“Queen,” Curtis breathed reverently, sticking his hand out. “Our CEO. Sir, it’s a great pleasure to meet you.”

Oliver shook his hand, looking amused. Curtis, meanwhile, looked like he’d just met Brad Pitt. 

“Good morning to you both,” Oliver replied, meeting Curtis’ eye and then looking to her. Felicity fought not to fidget. 

“Good morning,” she replied, focusing on his shoulder rather than meet his gaze. “Just… getting some coffee.”

Oliver hummed. “Well, I’ll leave you both to it. Enjoy the rest of your days.”

Curtis murmured a stunned goodbye as Oliver walked away to the executive elevator. Then he turned back to her, his eyes wide. “You know our CEO?”

“Curtis,” she whispered as the other people in the line looked at them speculatively. 

He noticed and then stood between her and the rest of the line, blocking her from their view. “I’m sorry but… that’s Oliver Queen. You know him??”

“How could you tell that from just one simple ‘good morning’?” 

“That was _not_ a simple ‘good morning’, Felicity Smoak, and you know it. He teased you about hacking and then the way he _looked_ at you. And then you wouldn’t even look at him… Girl, I’m really good at picking up on these things I’m telling you there, was a vibe. So spill. I need deets.”

_Shit_. Curtis was too nosey for his own good. “Not here,” she hissed. 

He looked around at the employees in the lobby and nodded. “Fine. But you’re telling me what’s going on sooner or later. This is a good story, I can just _tell_.”

Oh, understatement of the _year_. 

***

Since Felicity refused to spill any beans at all at the office or during office hours, Curtis left her alone but she knew he’d pester her until she told him. Still, for now she was off the hook. 

But then she got on another hook just before lunch when Cooper called her. 

“The money’s gone, Felicity!” he cried. 

“No, it’s not,” she replied. 

“What?? Where is it then??” 

“I took it to a safety deposit box this morning. I didn’t want someone to break in and steal it.” Felicity left out the part where she was sure it was just a matter of time before he told all his loser friends about the money and she just didn’t trust one of them not to steal it. 

“You could have warned me, Felicity! I was freaking out!”

“How did you even notice it was gone? We’re using the money for the business, right? And I’ve been at work so we haven’t been able to agree on any plans or move forward on purchasing anything…”

“I was going to go get some lunch,” Cooper said. “It’s just five bucks.”

Felicity fought the urge to bang her head on her desk. “I’d rather we didn’t use this money for things like that.”

“And I’d prefer if you discuss with me before making decisions like getting a safety deposit box. Now I’m going to need to get access to it and you know that’ll be a pain in the ass.”

She bit back her irritation. “Aren’t you supposed to be at work?” she asked, checking the time. 

“I quit my job,” he told her. “I need to spend the time getting our business going and besides, we have all that money now so I don’t need that job.”

Hadn’t she _just_ said that they needed to use this money for the business? They still needed to eat and pay rent and… She remembered all of Cooper’s plans to move into a new apartment and get a new car and… not only were they not on the same page, she didn’t think they were in the same _book_. 

But now wasn’t the time to have this argument. “Coop, I wish you hadn’t done that. Can we talk about this when I get home?”

“Sure. In fact, I wanted to have a nice dinner tonight, celebrate our new business. We can talk then?”

Well. That didn’t sound so bad. “Okay. That sounds great,” she said. 

When she hung up, she felt much better about things. That feeling carried through lunch, which was a salad she’d brought from home and ate at her desk. Eating at her desk wasn’t that bad, Felicity had learned. The IT floor cleared out and it was nice having the place to herself. Everything was quiet and calm and she could just listen to music or read a book or just lean back in her chair and close her eyes. 

Today, Felicity took her time with her salad and watched a video on YouTube. Things were going great when her desk phone rang, nearly making her jump a foot in the air she was so startled by the sudden noise. Who the heck would be calling her desk right now? Everyone was out at lunch! 

Pressing a hand over her pounding heart, Felicity blew out a breath, and then answered. “IT Department, this is Felicity Smoak speaking.”

“What are you wearing underneath your pencil skirt today, Ms. Smoak?” a deep voice asked. 

_Oliver Queen_. “I’m not sure that’s an appropriate question for the workplace, Mr. Queen,” she replied, meaning to sound testy but sounding more flirty than anything else. Dammit! How did he do this? He always brought this side of her out and she hadn’t even know she _had_ this side before him. 

“Seeing as how it’s my workplace, I think I can decide what’s appropriate and what’s not,” he replied. 

“I think the laws against sexual harassment in the workplace would say otherwise.”

A chuckle. “I just wanted to call and apologize for earlier. I put you on the spot in front of your co-worker. I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have done that.”

Felicity sobered. “It wasn’t really that bad,” she assured him. “I just… didn’t know what to do, seeing you again like that.”

“I know. I promise, I felt the same way. But I couldn’t stop myself from going over to you and saying hi as soon as I saw you standing there. I’m like a moth to your flame, Felicity.”

She swallowed thickly, feeling a blush rising up her neck to fill her cheeks with heated blood. “Oliver… you can’t say those kind of things…”

“I wanted to know if you’d thought any more about my offer for a second night.” The words were all business but his tone was anything but. 

“My answer hasn’t changed, Oliver,” she told him. “I—I can’t do that. It’s hard enough dealing with the fallout of one night—“

“Is Cooper upset?” he asked. “He’s not been an ass to you, has he?” 

Felicity fought not to smile at the defensive, protective note in his voice. “Nothing like that, it’s just… it’s an adjustment for both of us and it hasn’t been as smooth as I’d hoped.”

Oliver made a humming noise. “The offer still stands,” he reminded her. “It’s open indefinitely.”

“Why?” she asked suddenly, blurting out the one question that’d been ringing in her mind ever since Oliver had first walked into that interview room at the police station. “Why do you want another night? Why did you want a night to begin with? You can probably have any woman you want, for _free_ I might add, so why _me_?”

“Because you aren’t just ‘any woman’,” he told her. “And I couldn’t have you for free. You seem to doubt your own appeal, Felicity, and that bothers me. Because it’s obvious to everyone else around you. Do you remember the gala, on Friday night? You charmed that whole room full of stuffy suits. Even the married men were looking at you enviously. I felt like the luckiest man alive that you were there with me, and for a moment I could forget our deal and the bail and the money and tell myself you were there because you wanted to be. Because you wanted to be with me.”

Felicity’s breath was caught in her throat. She’d be lying if she didn’t admit, at least to herself, that she’d thought the same thing that night. But what he said about charming everyone around her… that was not something she was used to hearing. In fact, Cooper often accused her of acting rude and stuck up around his friends. 

“Oliver…” she breathed. 

“Listen, I know you can’t… don’t… But if the only way I can have you is to pay, I’ll pay. I’ll pay whatever I have to just to have you again. I can’t get you out of my fucking head, Felicity. And it’s not just the sex though, God… the sex with you is amazing and I can’t stop remembering the way you felt, how _I_ felt inside of you… But it’s everything else too.”

God help her, she felt the same way. 

“We can’t, Oliver. You’re my boss, I have a boyfriend… it’s not right.”

He made a noise of frustration. “Please, just… you said you’d think about it. Can you keep thinking about it?” 

She blew out a shaky breath. “Yes, I can.” Wouldn’t be remotely difficult, she wagered. 

“Good,” he replied, his voice gravely. “You don’t know how hard I’m resisting taking the elevator down there so I can kiss you again.”

Probably about as hard as she was resisting riding the elevator up to his office. “Everyone will be back soon,” she reminded him, eyeing the time on her computer. 

“I know. That’s the only thing that’s stopping me right now.”

“Oh…” Felicity didn’t know what else to say. She absolutely should not encourage him but at the same time, she felt this _pull_ towards him that was impossible to resist. She knew if he came down here, wanting to kiss her, there wasn’t a darn thing she’d do to stop him. 

Scary thought. 

Voices sounded from over by the elevators as employees started to return from lunch. “I have to go,” she said quietly. 

“Think about it, Felicity,” he told her. 

“I will,” she promised. The chances of her forgetting to think about it were laughably small. At least it sounded like she inhabited his thoughts just as much as he did hers. There wasn’t much comfort in that, given the circumstances, but it was something.


	8. Chapter 8

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Felicity struggles to regain normalcy in her relationship with Cooper... but he's not making it easy for her.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Can I just say how lucky I am to have readers like you guys? To everyone who has read since I posted the first chapter, to those of you who have just started and have been binging to catch up... I am grateful for every single one of you. The comments you leave me make my day. 
> 
> This might be a frustrating chapter but I hope you'll see why I think it's an important step in the story's evolution. The things that happen here... NEED to happen. It's a process. I hope you enjoy watching the cracks in Felicity's "perfect" life widen until she can no longer deny they're there. Which sounds harsh to say... but sometimes through pain comes redemption. Or something like that. 
> 
> Maybe I'm just high on the beauty that was HVFF ATL this weekend. Wow. That was something, wasn't it? 
> 
> Happy Thanksgiving to the Americans out there, happy... second to last week in November to the rest of you. ;) Big thanks for my ladies on Twitter who helped me to write this. You are all gems. And to @lexiblackbriar for the beautiful posters.

By the time the work day was finished, Felicity was looking forward to her dinner with Cooper. She wondered if he’d be making her favorite, spaghetti pomodoro. He hadn’t made that for her since their first year in the apartment. Or maybe he’d call in some take-out. Keeping with the theme (and her preference at the moment, apparently), maybe he’d order her favorite from Antonio’s. They hadn’t eaten there in a few months and her mouth was already watering for the breadsticks.

Felicity was determined not to think about Oliver tonight. Tonight was for her and Cooper and hopefully, them reconnecting with their relationship. Maybe things would go so well that they could do some good old-fashioned making out on the sofa afterwards. Which could potentially lead to some fun in the bedroom… 

For now, she was going to ignore the prickle of unease between her shoulders at the thought of _that_. 

“Hey, Coop! I’m home!” she called as she let herself into the apartment. She paused just inside the door, sniffing the air. No scent of food. So he wasn’t cooking… maybe he just hadn’t ordered the take-out yet… “Coop?”

“In here, babe.” His voice came from the bedroom so she walked in there and found… Cooper was putting on his best suit, the one his uncle had bought him for graduation from MIT three years ago. It was a bit tight in places, but still fit and he looked good in it. But Felicity was instantly suspicious because he _never_ wore this suit. 

“What’s going on?” she asked. 

“Put on your prettiest dress, babe. I got us reservations at Cascade Steakhouse.”

Her mouth popped open. Cascade wasn’t a cheap place to eat. Cooper was always complaining about how they’d never eaten there, but honestly, one meal was like an entire paycheck from Tech Village and more than a healthy chunk of her own. 

“Cooper, that’s so expensive! Can’t we just get some take-out and eat here at home?” she said. 

“We have the money now, remember? And we both deserve a celebratory dinner, considering what you had to go through to get us that money,” Cooper pointed out. 

Felicity grit her teeth. “I put that money in the safe deposit box so we wouldn’t just spend it on silly stuff, Coop.”

“This dinner is not ‘silly stuff’, babe. We can talk about the start up there, write it off as a business expense. And we _deserve_ this,” he said, cajoling. 

She tried in vain to convince him that take out would be just as celebratory but Cooper wouldn’t be swayed. Annoyed, Felicity finally put on one of her dresses, not even looking which one it was first. Why did it always feel like he got his way and she was the one who had to compromise? She knew she could throw a fit about this, refuse to go, but it would just cause a huge fight. And she really wanted her and Cooper to get back on the same page again.Losing the battle to win the war… right? 

Which meant letting it go. Even though her gut was telling her not to. As she brushed her hair and put on a fresh coat of lipstick, she vowed to talk to Cooper tonight, tell him they needed to get past their issues and get back on the same page. 

Cooper insisted on taking the Mini, which meant he also insisted on driving. The restaurant was located right on the harbor and had valet parking. Her boyfriend looked more than a little aggrieved as he handed over the keys to the attendant. 

“That car is an embarrassment,” he muttered as he ushered her into the restaurant. 

“That car is fine,” she replied. “Wait! I left my purse in there!” 

She turned around to go back to the valet podium but Cooper stopped her. “You don’t need your purse,” he told her. “I’ll take care of the check tonight and it’ll be fine in the car.”

She didn’t feel great about it but let it go. At least she had her phone with her, tucked into her bra. 

The restaurant was gorgeous, filled with tasteful decoration and beautiful people. They were shown to a table right by one of the enormous windows that overlooked the harbor. With the sun setting, the water glittered like it was diamonds. The sight was gorgeous and Felicity pushed questions of how much Cooper might have paid the hostess to seat them here out of her mind and tried to just enjoy the breathtaking sight. 

They started out talking about the business and their plans. Cooper seemed a lot more open to hearing her suggestions than he had been the previous day. For the first time since this whole situation had been thrust into their laps, Felicity felt the shared excitement they had always had in the past for their dream company. Cooper talked a lot about the sorts of products he wanted them to focus on, the sort of coding that these products would require and Felicity threw out suggestions and ideas and he was receptive to both. By the time their entrees were served, two filet mignons cooked to perfection, Felicity felt glad they’d come, even if the dinner was more expensive than she wanted to spend. 

Maybe Cooper was right. Maybe they just needed to relax and celebrate first. 

It wasn’t until their waiter refilled their wine glasses that things started to go downhill. 

Cooper started talking about expenses again and his ideas drifted from business expenses back to getting a new car, new clothes, a new apartment… Felicity quickly grew frustrated. 

“We don’t _need_ that stuff, Cooper. We can work up to it. I believe in this company and I know we’ll be successful. Can’t we just wait until Smoak-Seldon is operating in the black before we focus on purchases for ourselves?”

“Seldon-Smoak. And we could, of course, but who’s going to take us seriously driving up to meetings in an old Mini? Showing up in old suits and dresses? How can we entertain with people we hope to do business with at that old rat-trap apartment!”

“I’m not saying we can’t do those things, Cooper, I’m just saying we need to do it within reason. A nicer apartment in a nicer part of town, but not the penthouse right off Front Street! A nice, dependable Toyota, not an outrageous Tesla! We don’t _need_ that!”

“It feels like you’re trying to keep me down,” Cooper accused her.

“That’s not it at all!” she argued. “I earned this money and I feel like you want to throw it around and make me feel guilty for wanting to be more conservative with it!”

“Don’t act like you did anything groundbreaking to get that cash, Felicity,” he growled. “We all know all it required was you spreading your legs for a billionaire.”

Felicity’s mouth fell open and her fork fell to her plate with a clatter. Other diners looked up and she blushed, leaning forward to hiss across the table. “Don’t you dare say that to me,” she said, her voice a hiss. “We decided on this together, as a team, as a _couple_. We decided we wanted this money to start our business with!”

Cooper scoffed and drained his wine glass. “Yeah, it’s not that much money though, is it? It’s not like it’s a million dollars. Queen had to know that we’d go through that money faster than we expected.”

“It wasn’t just the money either, Coop. It was your bail and the charges against you.”

“Which were bullshit.”

“Keep your voice down. We could have fought them, but you didn’t want to.”

“Against Queen’s lawyers? Are you kidding me? Honestly, Felicity, you make me wonder who’s side you’re on. Are you with me or are you with him?”

“Cooper, don’t be an ass,” she said. “You’re so ready to paint Oliver as some kind of villain but he was actually a pretty nice guy. We could have worked with him, proven your innocence.”

He rolled his eyes. “Do you hear what you’re saying? You sound like some sort of lovesick teenager. Felicity, it’s done. I promise he’s not thinking about you anymore now that he’s gotten what he wanted.”

Felicity saw red instantly, the fury consuming her like wildfire. “That’s where you’re wrong. He’s already asked for a second night with me. Plus, he called my desk this afternoon just to talk to me.”

Cooper stared at her silently and Felicity realized what she’d just blurted. She winced and looked down at her plate, half full of food that was no longer appetizing to her. She pushed it aside. Well. There was no taking that back now. 

“I can’t believe you didn’t tell me. When did he offer?” Cooper’s voice was quiet. 

“Saturday morning. When his driver drove me home.”

It was hard to say which emotion filled more of his expression, outrage or hurt. “I can’t believe you didn’t tell me. And you want us to be partners?” 

He scoffed and threw down his napkin. Felicity watched, stunned, as he stood up and pulled his wallet out. He pulled a few bills from it and threw them on the table too. “Enjoy the rest of your meal,” he snarled before storming out of the restaurant. 

Everyone around them was staring at her and Felicity could feel her ears flaming with embarrassment. She signaled the waiter and asked for a box to take home the rest of her dinner. The man must have been waiting for a moment to swoop in because he was right there, all apologies. He swept her plate away, promising to return in a moment with her boxed leftovers. 

She couldn’t believe Cooper had done that. Well, she couldn’t believe she’d told him about Oliver’s offer, that she’d used it to try to _hurt_ Cooper. In that regard, his reaction was probably sympathetic. Then again, he’d just ditched her at the restaurant. Chances were pretty good that he’d taken the car home but she hoped she’d walk out and find him there at the curb, waiting for her. 

Felicity left the money on the table, noticing at least Coop had included enough to give the waiter a big tip, and took her box. She walked out of the restaurant with her head held high but she felt the weight of eyes following her out. 

The attendant at the podium outside confirmed that Cooper had left a few minutes before. Sighing, Felicity pulled her phone out of her bra and pulled up the Uber app, ordering a car. She considered briefly the awkwardness of going back to the apartment and cringed. No. They needed a little time right now. 

While she waited for the Uber, she called up Curtis. He was surprised to hear from her, but definitely sounded pleased. 

“I hate to do this,” she said, “but I could use a place to crash tonight. Is your couch free?”

“There’s a story here,” Curtis said, “and I expect to hear the whole thing. But yes, of course you can stay here.”

Thank god for friends. 

***

Paul Holt was a saint of a man. Not only didn’t he object to Felicity crashing on the sofa for the night, but he also leant her some clothes that his sister had left there the last time she’d come to town to visit them. Which meant she wouldn’t have to stop by the apartment before going in to work to get clothes to wear. _And_ she had something to wear to sleep in to boot. On top of that, even, he put sheets on the sofa, left out blankets and pillows and then disappeared into the bedroom to give her and Curtis a chance to talk privately. 

A _saint_. 

Curtis handed her a beer from the fridge and sat next to her on the sofa. 

“Thanks. I didn’t know you drank beer,” Felicity said, taking a sip from the bottle. 

“It’s Paul’s. So tell me. Why are you here? Not that I mind you being here. It’s actually kind of awesome, sort of like a sleepover. We really need to do this sort of thing more often. But you have to admit it’s a little out of character so I repeat: _what is going on_?” 

Felicity sighed and took a long swig from the bottle before setting it down on the coffee table. “Remember earlier today when you wanted me to tell you how I know Oliver Queen?”

“Yes, and you promised you’d tell me later. Oh! Is later _now_? Wait! Oh my god. Felicity, is Oliver Queen the reason you’re here tonight and not at your apartment with your _boyfriend_??” 

So she told him. She told him the _whole_ story, from working on Oliver’s computer that one day, through the Christmas party, to Cooper’s arrest and Oliver’s offer… Felicity even gave Curtis a sanitized version of the twelve hours they’d spent together. She finished up with the tension between her and Cooper ever since, culminating in the argument at dinner. 

“So wait… he just left you there? He took your car and left you at the restaurant. You don’t even have your _purse_. What if you didn’t have me to crash with?” Curtis was incredulous. 

“I probably would have gone back to the apartment.”

“You don’t have keys, what if Cooper didn’t let you in?”

“He would have let me in, Curtis.”

Her friend shrugged, not looking convinced. “That’s still messed up, Felicity. Please tell me you see that.”

“That he left me? Yeah, that wasn’t cool,” Felicity agreed. 

“I mean the whole thing. Talking you into taking the offer and then treating you like crap afterwards and then throwing a fit about being able to spend _your_ money the way he wants?”

“Well, it’s our money. That’s what we agreed. And it’s our start up business. We’ve been planning this since MIT.”

“I know, Felicity, and I think your plans are great. You know that I’m in full support of your new company. But… I gotta say it, I’ve never really been that sure about Cooper. Not since we first met. And this whole thing isn’t helping my opinion any.”

“What do you mean?” she asked, her brow furrowing. She’d always thought Curtis got along with Cooper. Sure, they weren’t buddies or anything, but she hadn’t picked up on any strain between them. 

Curtis shrugged. “He just seems… not your type. And there’ve been times I wondered if he really appreciated you. You’re a hard worker and he’s, well… not.”

Felicity thought about how Cooper had quit his Tech Village job. Still, she felt she should defend her boyfriend. “We’re having a rough patch right now, I think. And this whole mess with Oliver Queen hasn’t helped things. At _all_.”

“How do you feel about Mr. Queen?” Curtis asked, changing topics. Felicity gave him a look and he held up his hands in a gesture of surrender. “I can’t call him by his first name, I swear, I’d start giggling and not be able to stop.”

“I like him,” Felicity said honestly. “But I’m not with him. I’m with Cooper. And thinking he’s a nice guy isn’t saying I’m in love with him or anything. We had a good time, which is fortunate given the circumstances.”

He looked at her, eyes narrowed. She had the feeling he could see what she was thinking and she shifted uncomfortably. 

“Are you going to do the second night with him?” 

Felicity shook her head. “No. I think tonight has shown me the answer needs to be an emphatic no.”

Curtis nearly looked disappointed. “Well. You know what’s best.” 

“Yes. Yes, I do.”

***

Felicity was able to ride into work with Curtis and the day went smoothly, just like any other day, actually. She kept checking her phone, hoping to see something from Cooper. Then she wondered if she should call or text him. But Curtis told her he wouldn’t speak to her for a week if she did, that it was up to Cooper to contact her first. 

So she didn’t do anything. But it wasn’t easy. 

It turned out that Curtis was onto something though. At the end of the day, Felicity was packing up her things and contemplating another night on Curtis’ sofa or ordering an Uber to take her home when Cooper showed up at her cubicle wearing a visitor’s badge. 

“Oh!” she said, surprised. “Cooper! I wasn’t expecting to see you here.”

He looked abashed. “I know. I wanted to… apologize. I was an ass last night and I feel like a total fool.”

Felicity softened a bit… but only a bit. “You _left me_ there, Coop.”

“I know. I was angry and not thinking straight and I’d had that wine…” Felicity hated to think of him driving her car while tipsy from wine but didn’t want to nitpick. “I got home and I was so angry. I stayed up playing video games expecting you to come home any minute. And you didn’t. I worried.”

She told herself she wasn’t going to let him make her feel bad about not letting him know where she was. “You shouldn’t have left me then.”

“I know. I realized that when I woke up today. And you didn’t text me or anything and that’s when I knew I had majorly messed up. I’m so sorry, Felicity.”

“That really hurt me, Coop,” she said. Then, she sighed. “I don’t like to fight with you. But I need you to know that what you did was really awful.”

He looked for a second like he wanted to argue but then his features smoothed. He smiled at her. “I’m really sorry. Forgive me? Let me drive you home and we can talk?”

She thought about holding out a little longer, but found herself caving in. She really didn’t want to impose on the Holts any longer. “Okay. I’d like that,” she replied. 

They didn’t talk on the ride home. Well, they talked but about superficial things. Felicity mentioned she’d stayed at Curtis’ place last night which was as close to talking about it as they got for the moment. 

When they got home, Cooper fixed them some spaghetti while Felicity went to take a quick shower. She’d skipped taking one that morning, not wanting to impose on the Holts any more than she had to. She also gathered the borrowed clothes to clean and return to Curtis as soon as she could. 

They sat at the sofa, the only real place they had to sit and eat. That was when they started to talk. 

“I’m sorry I overreacted about the other offer. I want you to know, it was only because you hadn’t told me about it,” Cooper said. 

“I hadn’t told you because I didn’t plan to accept it. I really didn’t want to give us more trouble that would amount to nothing, but I regret not telling you right away. I should have told you and then told you I wasn’t going to accept it. Telling you the way I did last night was awful and I’m sorry.”

“I was being an ass,” he admitted “I deserved it. I just… I’m so tired of fighting. I just want to work on our dream, together.”

“That’s all I want too, Cooper. We need to listen to each other. I need you to hear my suggestions and I promise, I’ll hear yours.”

“That’s all I want, babe,” he told her. 

“Me too.” 

They put their plates down, scooted across the sofa and hugged. Felicity relaxed into his arms, feeling more settled than she had since she walked back into this apartment on Saturday morning. 

When they returned to their meal, the discussion turned more towards business. “You’ve had some good ideas, Cooper,” she admitted. “I’m busy at QC during the day and since you’re not at Tech Village, it does make sense for you to maybe be the one in charge of getting things underway.”

His eyes were wide. “You mean that, Felicity? Because, I don’t want to step on your toes. We can even name it Smoak-Seldon Technologies if you want. I’d just really love to pull my weight and provide something towards getting this business going.”

Felicity recalled what Curtis had insinuated about Cooper letting her do all the work. She nodded. “Yes, I think that’s a good compromise. I’d like to have some input on all the major decisions but I don’t see why you can’t handle all the calls and early meetings.”

They discussed some of the plans, going back over things like rental space and employees and Felicity had to admit, some of his ideas were pretty good. He really seemed to just want the best for their business and shouldn’t they both want to give Smoak-Seldon the best start possible? 

They turned on a TV movie after that, something they both had seen before but really enjoyed. Now that they were talking openly with one another again, they couldn’t seem to stop. By the time they started discussing logos and company colors, Felicity was laughing and having a great time. 

_Just like old times_. 

Maybe it was that nostalgia and ease that caused her to kiss him. Maybe it was the same that had him kissing her back. Or maybe it’d just been too damn long since either of them had touched the other one. It was like slipping into an old habit, comfortable and familiar and Felicity didn’t realize until she felt Cooper’s hand on her breast that there was something _off_ about all of it. 

She tried to ignore it. 

But after a few more minutes, as she felt Cooper’s hand wandering underneath her blouse and his body trying to maneuver hers to lie back on the sofa, she had to stop him. 

“Wait,” she gasped, pushing back on his shoulder. 

Cooper backed up. “What is it?”

Felicity had no idea what she could say that wouldn’t sound completely awful. _Sorry, I can’t have sex with you cuz you’re not the man I can’t get out of my mind?_ Yeah… no way. 

“I just… can we slow down a little?” she asked. 

He looked suspicious. “Why?”

She sat up and shrugged her shoulders. “It’s been a long day… I’m a little tired. I didn’t get great sleep on Curtis’ sofa last night.”

“Does this have anything to do with Queen?” he asked. 

Felicity’s heart caught in her throat. “No, absolutely not,” she lied, hating herself a little more. 

Cooper made a noise and sat back. “Good. Oh, by the way, you did get his test results on Friday, right?”

She blinked. “Uh… yeah, I did. It was fine. He was clean.”

“Good. I know you’re tired tonight but… well, you know I hate wearing rubbers.”

Her cheeks flamed. She turned back to the TV show as well. They finished their meal and the movie but when they went to sleep, they each kept to their own side of the bed. The mood had been effectively ruined. Felicity wasn’t sure what she thought about that, if she was disappointed or… relieved. 

***

The next day, Wednesday, Felicity took a little time out of the office in the morning so she could take Cooper over to the bank and get him access to the safety deposit box. He promised to keep her posted on what and where he was spending. She told him she couldn’t wait to hear what he’d accomplished when she got home that night. 

And she meant it. 

They were a team, after all, and it wouldn’t hurt to put some trust in him and some responsibility on his shoulders when she was busy with other things. This was the man she wanted to spend the rest of her life with, after all. Wasn’t it?

_Nope. Not going there._

It was hard to watch him spend money and make decisions. Sure, he called her for the big ticket items, but it always seemed to be a scenario where she had to say yes or at least agree to think about it. Which almost always ended up in her saying yes. Did this make her a pushover? It didn’t help that she was put on a new project at work, helping to shore up the company’s network security, and that was taking so much of her time and energy that when it came to Cooper and Smoak-Seldon, she didn’t have much left in the tank. 

Things at work were definitely as busy as they ever got. Ever since the hack that had gotten Cooper arrested, the department heads had gotten super vigilant about sealing up the cracks, so to speak. Since Felicity had a masters in Network Security, and it was one of her specialities still, she was one of the few called on to work on it. Which meant super long hours at the office. And when she wasn’t at the office, she was dreaming about servers and code. 

By the time Friday rolled around, Cooper had made significant progress. He’d found them rental space for the business. It was downtown, if outside the corridor but near enough that it hardly mattered. He insisted it was a good compromise. Felicity tried not to blanch when she saw the monthly rental cost. Then she saw that Cooper had paid the first year in advance. He had to, in order to secure their bid against other buyers, he’d explained to her. 

Felicity had needed to sit down.

He also hired a graphic designer to make them a business logo and while Felicity was impressed with how official it looked, she knew it had cost them a significant amount of money. He bought computers and other peripherals, desks and chairs and decorations and everything. And no expense had been spared. And, of course, he’d promised his friends jobs at the new company. Including Carrie Cutter, whom he’d offered a receptionist’s position. 

That one bugged her. And she let Cooper know. But he assured her that Carrie was really excited for the position and she’d do a great job. Felicity kept her concerns about the way Carrie looked at Cooper to herself. For now. 

Felicity could let this go except for the niggling feeling she had by the end of the week; that this business was becoming more _his_ and less _theirs_. A little voice in the back of her mind said that Cooper had been more than willing to name the business Smoak-Seldon Technologies because he knew he’d be controlling everything else. 

That voice was a total dick. 

Mostly because it was the same voice that kept reminding her of her night with Oliver, of the kiss, of his request for another night with her. She hadn’t seen him since the coffee kiosk incident on Monday and she hadn’t spoken to him since he’d called her cubicle that afternoon. But he was never far from her thoughts. 

The smug bastard would probably be thrilled to know that. 

Felicity felt better knowing that he was probably in the same position, thinking about her. At least she wasn’t in this boat alone. 

So between her sexual frustration, being worked to exhaustion at QC all week long and her paranoia and irritation over what Cooper was doing with their new startup, Felicity wasn’t in the best of moods when she finally got out of work at 9 o’clock that Friday night. All she wanted was a quiet night in front of the television, a glass of wine and a slice of extra cheesy pizza. 

Of course, when she let herself into the apartment, pizza box in hand, she found Cooper was not alone. Lonnie and Max were there too, the guys all clustered around the coffee table with xbox controllers in their hands, shouting insults at one another. So much for a quiet night. 

“Felicity!” a chorus of shouts went up and she smiled at the guys, despite her disappointment. 

“What a babe! Look, she brought us pizza!” Lonnie cried. 

Five minutes later, Felicity retreated to their bedroom with a lone slice (all that was left after the boys descended on the pie) and her glass of wine. Thank goodness they had a television set up in their room. It wasn’t a large TV but it was big enough to indulge in some cheesy romantic comedy to help her forget her troubles. 

She was halfway through tropey nonsense on the Hallmark channel when Cooper came in the room. Felicity looked up, surprised. “What’s up?”

“I sent the guys home,” he told her. “I’m sorry. I saw your face when you got home. You looked exhausted and not too happy to have a bunch of guys in your living room.”

“It’s no big deal,” she replied. “You deserve to get to unwind on Friday evening too.”

“It was another late night for you tonight. That’s three in a row. How are things going at QC? Troubles with the network?”

She sat up on the bed and he sat down net to her. “Not too bad,” she said. “There’s some holes but we’re on it. It’s just time consuming.”

He hummed thoughtfully. “Glad there’s no trouble,” he said. “Is that the only thing on your mind tonight?”

It was tempting to lie, or to at least avoid the full truth. She was tired and not in the mood to fight. But Felicity _hated_ lying. And she didn’t want to hide anything from Cooper. 

“No, that’s not the only thing,” she admitted. 

“What’s going on?”

Felicity licked her lips. “I’m feeling a little left out of the planning for Smoak-Seldon,” she told him. “I know you run all the big decisions by me but with me so busy at work I really don’t feel like I have the time to really think about it or discuss it with you. And it just feels like you’re edging me out of something that’s just as much mine as it is yours.” 

“You know that’s not what I’m doing,” he said. 

“It’s what it feels like though, Coop. I can’t help how I feel about it. It makes me uncomfortable.”

“What do you want me to do? Halt everything to wait until you have time for it?” he snapped. “While we’re airing grievances, I may as well air one of mine.”

“Like what?” she asked, incredulous. As far as she could see, Cooper was doing pretty well with things this week. 

“I think you’re hung up on Queen. Your head has been in the clouds since you got home Saturday. You’re not the same person anymore and I’m not sure I know the new Felicity anymore.”

Her mouth fell open. “That’s— that’s not true at all, Cooper!”

“Felicity, come on. You and I have barely touched this whole last week. I tried to get a little physical with you a few days ago and you pushed me away. You know, we’ve never really talked about the night you spent with him.”

“I thought you didn’t want to know,” she said. 

“I don’t but I think I need to. Because right now it’s this wall between us.”

“He was nice to me, Cooper. It could have been so much worse but it wasn’t and I think that makes me a bit lucky. But I still wish we’d never taken the offer in the first place.”

Cooper looked stricken. “But the business! And my freedom!”

“Are those things worth me giving myself to another man, Coop?”

“Don’t put it like that,” he said, his voice harsh. 

“That’s what it feels like to me!” she cried. “I feel like we traded my body for money and your freedom. And while I want to put it behind us, you just want to keep bringing it up.”

“I think you should do the second night with him,” Cooper announced suddenly. 

Felicity had to get up and walk around the room. It felt as though the walls were pressing in on her. This was exactly what she’d been afraid of. “Why, Coop. After all this trouble, _why_?”

“We need the money,” he told her. “Starting up a company is a lot more expensive than I expected. All the business licenses alone and then the utilities and rents… there’s so little that’s going to be left over for us. We need more money. This is an easy way for us to get it.”

Her hands were shaking. “I just have to sleep with another man to get it. No big deal.”

“You just said he was nice to you. So don’t try to play it off like its torture to you.”

She wanted to scream in frustration. “Don’t you get it, Cooper?? It’s because it wasn’t torture that I don’t want to do it again. It’s _because_ he was nice. I had a great time! What do you think will happen if I do it again? Cooper, this is going to tear us apart!”

“There’s a difference between ‘he was nice’ and ‘I had a great time’, Felicity. Fuck. Are you kidding me right now? You enjoyed it? Did he get you off? How many times? Is he better in bed than I am??”

“Go to fucking hell, Cooper.”

“Answer the question.”

Cooper watched her, his eyes suspicious. Felicity hoped the answer wasn’t written all over her features but she feared that it was. She said nothing, knowing there was nothing she _could_ say. 

“That’s all the answer I need, I guess,” Cooper said, sneering. 

“Coop… I didn’t want to talk about this. I didn’t want to do a second night with him.”

“Because you’re just such a virtuous saint, aren’t you?” He rolled his eyes, the gesture dripping with derision. 

“Why do you want me to do it? Regardless of what happened or how I feel, how can you want to share me like that?” she cried. “Why would you want me to do this? Why won’t you fight for me, for us?”

“I thought I was!” Cooper yelled. “This was going to get our future finally secured. We could get married and have our life together!”

“You want me to fuck another man,” she returned. “How the hell is that fighting for us?”

“Because I didn’t think you’d have _feelings_ for him!” he snarled. 

Felicity bit her tongue and turned away. 

“Give him a call. Tell him you’ll do it. Or don’t. I don’t give a shit anymore,” he muttered, pushing past her to the door of their room. “I’m going to stay at Lonnie’s tonight.”

The door slammed and a moment later, she heard the door to the apartment slam as well. Felicity winced and sank down onto the bed. Tears fell down her cheeks. Her heart felt like it was cracking in two. It really felt like this was the beginning of the end between them. She wanted so badly to hold onto the dream she’d had back in college, of them together and conquering the tech industry together… but that dream was crumbling around her. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm sorry Oliver wasn't really in this chapter... but he gets mentioned quite a bit, I'd say. And you'll see quite a bit of him the NEXT chapter, I assure you! ;)


	9. Chapter 9

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Felicity and Cooper's relationship continues to deteriorate as Felicity calls Oliver to let him know she'll do another night with him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey folks! Hope you all enjoyed the holiday weekend if you're Americans and if you're not ... I hope you had a lovely weekend anyhow. I'm sorry this is a bit late this morning. I'm a day late and a dollar short, as they say. I blame the crossover. And spoilers. And okay, I'm just not with it quite this morning. I'm getting there!
> 
> I wanted to address something I saw in the comments on the last chapter. I might not have made it quite clear enough at the end of chapter 8 that Felicity is officially losing faith in her relationship with Cooper. Everything he's been doing... plus leaving her at the restaurant and then their argument... those things have shown her what she wasn't seeing before. So while I appreciate the notes hoping that Felicity opens her eyes soon, I just want to make it clear that her eyes are actually open now, as of the last chapter. And the rest, as they say, is downhill from here. Still, she does think she can maintain a business partnership with him which... hmm. It's a process. That's all I can say regarding her complicated feelings for the guy. 
> 
> There's some great movement in this chapter and even a wee bit of sexy-times towards the end of the chapter. I hope you enjoy. I'll be posting another chapter *gulp* on Thursday since we won't have Arrow that day. Big thanks, again, to my ladies on Twitter and to @lexiblackbriar for her beautiful covers.

Saturday morning dawned on an empty apartment. Felicity had slept terribly. Her fight with Cooper had been the worst that they’d ever had. Her patience and mood were at an all time low and as she sipped a mug of coffee while standing next to the window, watching the sunrise spread across the Glades around their apartment building, Felicity wondered what to do next. 

Cooper had essentially put the ball in her court regarding the second night with Oliver last night. He’d even said he wanted her to do it. Even her telling him that she’d enjoyed sleeping with Oliver hadn’t seemed to change his mind much. And right then, she wanted to call his bluff. Maybe if she did this and she realized she didn’t have any feelings for Oliver, then she could prove Cooper wrong. 

She just had to ignore the little voice in her head that told her it was a terrible idea.

Felicity finished her coffee and then pulled out her cell phone. She scrolled through her contacts to “Oliver Queen”. Her thumb hovered over his name as she debated with herself one last time. Then, she thought about that kiss in the limo. 

The line only rang twice before it was picked up. “Hello?” Oliver said. “Felicity?”

“You’re up early,” she said, feeling a little breathless at hearing his voice. She’d done it. She’d actually called him. 

He huffed. “I could say the same thing.”

“Rough night. What’s your excuse?”

“I don’t sleep well, generally,” he replied. “Why did you have a rough night.”

Felicity rolled her shoulders and sat down on the sofa. “I’d rather not say.”

“Fight with the boyfriend?”

“Don’t you want to know why I’m calling?” she asked, hoping to distract him. 

“I know exactly why you’re calling,” Oliver replied. “What did you two fight about?”

“How can you know what I’m calling for?” she wanted to know, feeling her face heat. 

“You want to accept my offer for another night,” he told her. “I honestly expected this call a few days ago so I’m impressed at how long you held off.”

Now she felt irritated. “You think that sort of smugness is attractive?”

“It’s not smugness. I knew you’d call eventually. It was just a matter of time. Plus, I knew you wouldn’t call if you weren’t accepting.”

That… actually made sense. “Okay, fine. Yes, I want to do the second night. With the… terms you mentioned.”

“You mean the extra $500k?” he asked. She could hear the smile in his voice. 

“Yes.”

“Okay. I have some terms of my own. If you’ve slept with your boyfriend, I’d like you to get retested.”

Felicity didn’t know if she felt outraged or hurt or annoyed. It was a practical request and yet… the detached way he’d requested it irritated her. “What about you? Are you going to get retested too?” She couldn’t keep her annoyance out of her voice. 

“If that would make you feel better, yes I will.”

It didn’t make her feel better. She’d wanted him to say that he didn’t need another test, that he hadn’t sleep with anyone else in the last week. It was unreasonable and Felicity _knew_ it but she couldn’t help herself. 

“I don’t like the implication from you that Cooper would sleep with someone else. Because that’s the only reason I’d need to get retested, isn’t it? Is if _he_ is sleeping around? Since my results were clean before, why would it change if he was only sleeping with me?”

“Yes, that’s exactly what I’m implying.”

“You’re an ass, Oliver Queen.”

“I’m being practical, Felicity.”

She ground her teeth. “I haven’t slept with him since before our night together,” she muttered. 

“Good. That’s good,” he replied, sounding legitimately relieved. “I haven’t slept with anyone else either.”

Felicity blew out a breath. “So why did you bring this up? Why did you offer to get tested? Why didn’t you just ask if I’d slept with Cooper this week?”

“I was trying to be diplomatic.”

“Yeah, well, you suck at it.” But she was smiling. She felt relieved too. 

“I never claimed it was one of my strengths,” he teased back. “But I’m glad to hear it. To be honest, the thought of you with him this last week has made me a little crazy.”

Hearing that made her more pleased than it had any right to. “I just… I couldn’t,” she admitted. “It didn’t feel right.”

“I’m even gladder to hear that,” he said. “I had no interest in having any hookups either. Some woman from accounting paraded through my office with a tiny skirt on Thursday and I didn’t even look twice at her. Even my assistant remarked on how odd that was.”

“I thought you said you didn’t date much anymore,” she pointed out. 

“I never said I didn’t _look_ anymore.”

“Good point.”

“Tomorrow night,” he said suddenly. “I want to do this tomorrow night.”

“Tomorrow is Sunday,” she reminded him. “There’s work on Monday.”

“You can have the day off if you want. I think I’m exercising enormous restraint by not demanding it be tonight,” he told her. “But I have some plans with Tommy anyhow. Tomorrow though. I need to see you again.”

Felicity felt flushed all over. The force of his need was only part of the reason. Her _own_ need was the other part. “O-okay,” she stuttered. “What time?”

“Same time. The limo will pick you up just like last time. Just be ready and let me handle the rest.”

“I can do that.” Felicity bit her lip. She’d actually done it. She said yes to Oliver. She expected to feel regret but instead she just felt skin-tingling excitement at the prospect of being in his bed once again. 

“I’m so glad you said yes, Felicity,” Oliver told her, his voice low and gravely. “Just wait till you see what I have in store for you.”

_Oh… she could imagine_. 

“See you tomorrow…” She paused, wondering just how saucy she was feeling. She was feeling pretty damn saucy— “…Mr. Queen.”

His growl was the last thing she heard before she hung up the call. 

***

Cooper didn’t come back to the apartment until hours later, as the sun was dipping in the sky. He smelled of cigarette smoke and beer, telling her he’d spent the day with Lonnie and his other friends. It was the first time that the thought of Carrie hanging around him didn’t bother her. That, plus her excitement over seeing Oliver again, spoke volumes about how she felt about their relationship. 

“Are you still feeling pissy?” he asked, his tone belligerent as he flopped down onto the sofa and grabbed the television remote. 

“Don’t I have a good reason to feel ‘pissy’, Cooper?” she asked. 

“Maybe. But I sure as hell have a good reason. I almost didn’t come home tonight.” 

Felicity fought not to roll her eyes. “So what, you’re doing me a favor now?”

“Lonnie showed me the paparazzi footage of you and Queen arriving at the Gala last week. You guys looked pretty cozy to me and he teased me about it. Made me feel like shit,” Cooper said, sulking. “Now they all know that you spent a night with Queen.”

“Seriously?” she cried, feeling humiliated. “Cooper, those guys will never let me forget it. How can I even face them again, now that they know?”

“Honestly, not my problem.”

She bristled. “I can’t believe what a jerk you’re being about this.”

“Felicity, you admitted to me that you think Queen is better in bed than I am. That you want to do this second night with him. I accused you of having feelings for him and you didn’t deny it.”

“Because you walked out!”

“Did you accept Queen’s offer?” Cooper asked, looking bored, as though he couldn’t possibly care either way. 

Felicity straightened her shoulders. “I did.”

Cooper looked shaken for the first time since he walked back in. “Why? Was it because I told you to?” 

She felt the fight drain out of her. She knew things were changing between her and Cooper and that felt inevitable. But right here, in this moment, she didn’t have the will to argue anymore. She sat on the sofa, leaving plenty of space between them. 

“I was angry at you when I called Mr. Queen to accept,” she admitted. “And yes, you did tell me to. But a part of me also wants to prove to you that it’s no big deal, that I don’t have any feelings for him. But… mostly the first reason.”

He shrugged. “Fair enough.”

“I just… I wanted you to fight for me, Cooper. Not just this time but before too. When Mr. Queen first came to us with the proposal, I wanted you to say no. I didn’t want you to be okay with sharing me.” Felicity tangled her fingers together. It was one of her deepest truths but it was a truth and he needed to hear it. 

“I just didn’t see it that way,” he replied. “It didn’t feel like sharing to me. It didn’t feel wrong. It just seemed like a great opportunity.”

And therein lay the problem, Felicity mused. This was why she and Cooper were doomed, regardless of what happened on this date with Oliver. She could see it now. They just didn’t have the same priorities in this relationship. Felicity needed someone who cherished her, who put her above himself, who would never want to share her. Ever. 

But she was sure they could remain business partners. They would have to. 

“We’re going to have to have a talk, Coop. About _us_.”

He looked irritated at the notion and shrugged his shoulders. She tried again. 

“Either way, this will be good for the business, right?” she said, adding forced cheerfulness to her voice. “We can use this money to grow things even more.”

Cooper’s eyes lit up. “Oh yes. Nothing can stop us once we have all that money.”

She could see now that everything came down to money with him. Felicity was finally realizing that was _always_ going to be the case. But what was an awful quality in a romantic relationship might prove to be valuable in a business partner. “And who knows, maybe I can get some good business advice while I’m with Mr. Queen.”

That actually made Cooper grin. “That’s a great idea, Felicity! Actually, if you could ask him about any products they have in development, that’d be awesome.”

Felicity gave him a skeptical look. “Isn’t that industrial espionage?”

He shrugged. “It’s sniffing out the competition. Couldn’t hurt, right?”

Actually, it probably could. But she was going to let that go. “I’ll see what I can do,” she told him noncommittally. She had zero intention of doing any such thing“He wants to do this tomorrow night.”

“Wow, that’s really soon. Not one for waiting, is he?” Cooper mused. “Hey, you keep the code for our first algorithm on a usb key, right? Maybe, if you left it here, I could work on it while you’re gone. Just to get us closer to where we can launch it.”

That surprised her. Cooper hadn’t shown much interest in working on the code while they were business planning the last week. She was glad to see he was taking a more nuts and bolts interest in getting them going. The algorithm was something Felicity had been working on since their days at MIT, something that would revolutionize users’ personal security capabilities. Identity theft would be a thing of the past once social network and commerce sites implemented the algorithm. It was this code that was going to make them millions.

Cooper had been a brilliant coder back at MIT. Not as good as her, of course, but who was? That wasn’t bragging, that was just facts. She’d outscored him on every test they took for the classes they’d had similar. While she’d been at the top of her class for her Network Security degree, he’d had to switch to Information Systems for his and even then he’d been more in the middle of the pack. Still, he had skills. But he hadn’t used them a lot in the years since they graduated, so Felicity was more than happy to encourage him to use them now. 

She retrieved the usb from where she kept it, in a secret compartment in her purse that not even Cooper knew about, and handed it to him. “Good luck.”

“I just hope I don’t mess it up,” he said. 

“You won’t. I have faith. Besides, I have another copy of it.”

“Of course you do,” he said, shaking his head. “Always thinking ahead. I hope I have something good to show you when you get back. Are you taking Monday off work?” 

“I think I will.”

“You should. Queen will have enough of your time tomorrow night,” Cooper replied with a grumble. 

“You can show me what you came up with when I’m home, then. Maybe you can take me to the place you rented for Smoak-Seldon. I’d love to see it.”

“Oh, I can’t wait to show you. You’ll be so glad you agreed to the downtown location when you see it.”

Felicity wasn’t so sure of that, especially given the steep price tag. But she kept her lips shut. _Pick your battles, Smoak_. 

“Looks like we’re a united front again,” Cooper said, looking satisfied.

Felicity felt a lot less sure, especially since she knew their romantic relationship was pretty much over and done. 

“At least we’re united over our business,” she added and Cooper nodded. Wondered how upset he would be when she broke up with him? Would he even care? 

But that could be dealt with later. Much later. For now, she was just hoping that their business partnership could survive another night with Oliver Queen. 

***

Sunday was spent going over some contracts for the new business. There were a lot of permits to apply for and a lot of things that needed Felicity’s signature as well. It was a good time to get those things done and it kept things between her and Cooper a bit impersonal too, which she felt she needed. She found her nerves were spiking a bit, but not nearly as bad as they had before the initial twelve hours. 

Felicity rather knew what to expect this time. Or at least she thought she did.

As seven o’clock neared, however, Cooper made himself scarce, saying he was going down to the pub to meet up with his buddies. It was just around the corner, easy walking distance back home and he liked to hang out there and watch sports games and be social. Felicity couldn’t blame him for not wanting to be there. Things were awkward between them, to put it mildly. A romantic send off just didn’t feel right to her. He didn’t even kiss her as he left and she was more than fine with that.

She dressed in a simple coral sundress this time. Oliver hadn’t specified what she should wear and she knew this dress looked good on her. It brought out the color of her eyes and the way the skirt swished around her thighs would definitely tantalize. Plus it made her ass look great. Always a plus. 

Felicity put on some strappy sandals with sky high heels that she used to avoid wearing but she knew Oliver liked her in heels. So a little discomfort would be worth it for the look on his face. She kept her makeup simple, except for her lipstick. For that, she selected a shiny fuschia color. She put her hair in a swishy ponytail and left her glasses on. It was an understated but “cute” look. She knew Oliver would like it. 

Because, apparently, she wanted him to be pleased with how she looked. 

Felicity chose not to look too closely into the psychology of that. Instead, she packed a small bag for overnight, including a change of clothes to wear home tomorrow. And her toothbrush. 

She checked her watch and saw that it was ten minutes until seven o’clock. So she fluffed her ponytail, grabbed her bag, and headed out of the bedroom. She scribbled a quick note to Cooper and was about to walk out of the apartment when there was a knock at the door. Startled, she stopped in her tracks and stared at it for a moment. Was Dig early and he’d come up to get her instead of waiting? 

The knock came again and Felicity rushed forward to peek out through the peephole. She was surprised to see Oliver standing there in the hallway, looking utterly out of place. She flung the door open. 

“What are you doing?” she asked. 

Oliver stepped inside, wrapping an arm around her waist to pull her in and aside as he shut the door. He smiled charmingly down at her. “I thought I’d come up and have a look at your place.”

Felicity felt blood rushing to her cheeks. “It’s really nothing great. As you can now see. I haven’t even cleaned lately, I’ve been so busy at QC with the network updates—“

“I know,” he said, his blue eyes twinkling. “When the department heads had their meeting about dealing with the vulnerabilities in our network, I recommended your name specifically.”

“So _you’re_ who I have to thank for working till 9 or 10 each night?” she said, poking him hard in the chest. He mouthed “ow” but was grinning. 

“It just means I have that much faith in your abilities.”

“Or you were trying to keep me away from Cooper,” she said, suspicious. 

Oliver shrugged. “Maybe that was just a bonus. So, are you going to show me around?”

“What’s to show? This is the living room, that’s the kitchen. That’s pretty much it. Bathroom is through there, it also connects to the bedroom, which is through there,” she said, pointing. “It’s a dump.”

“I can see your touches, here and there. You’ve tried to make it homey,” Oliver noted.

Felicity scoffed. “Not much I can do with this place. But thank you.”

“Let’s see your bedroom,” he suggested, taking her hand and pulling her along. She dropped her bag on the floor and let him tug her into the bedroom. She couldn’t imagine what he wanted to see in there. 

Or she couldn’t until he sat on the edge of the bed and pulled her between his legs, running his hands up the back of hers. His fingers tickled over the backs of her knees and up further to smooth over her thighs. Felicity braced her hands on Oliver’s shoulders, her fingers digging in a bit. 

“Oliver…”

“I’ve missed you,” he told her. “The feel of your skin, the smell of your arousal, the sound of your moans…”

Oliver leaned forward and pressed a kiss over her belly, his stubble catching slightly on the light cotton of her dress. Felicity fought a shiver. 

“We shouldn’t do this here,” she said lowly. 

“Why not?” he asked, his fingers snaking up towards her ass, brushing against the edges of her underwear. 

“Because, this is an apartment I share with my boyfriend. A boyfriend that could be home any minute.”

He stopped but he didn’t remove his hands or move away from her. Then, he pulled her even more firmly against him, hugging her. She could feel his fingers digging into the soft flesh of her thighs, likely leaving slight marks behind. Felicity was surprised that the idea of having Oliver’s fingerprints on her body filled her with an edgy anticipation. 

She missed him too. 

Finally, Oliver released her. “Fine, we’ll do this your way,” he said, almost sounding like a petulant child. 

Felicity tugged his hands out from underneath her skirt and pulled him up. When he stood before her, he dipped his head and kissed her. She expected a quick press of the lips but his arms banded around her, lifting her up slightly. Oliver angled his head, slanting his lips across hers, his tongue plunging into her mouth and Felicity groaned, clutching at his shoulders and the short hair at the back of his head. 

The kiss was heated and possessive, completely different from the sweet first kiss they’d shared in that limo a little over a week ago. But it was no less perfect, the way they fit together, breathed each other’s air, swallowed each other’s gasps. 

Oliver drew back reluctantly, still holding her close, and pressed his forehead to hers. “I’m sorry. I had to.”

Felicity swallowed and nodded. “I know.”

They left the apartment after that, Oliver grabbing her overnight bag on the way out. Dig waited at the curb with the limo, just like before. He dipped his head in greeting, smiling at her as she approached. 

“Good evening, Ms. Smoak,” he said. 

“I told you to call me Felicity, didn’t I?” she replied, returning his smile. 

“Indeed you did.”

He opened the door for them, taking her hand to help her into the back seat. Felicity breathed in deep the rich scent of the leather. This limo held some fond memories for her… late night Big Belly Burger and conversations with Oliver, that kiss… She had another chance to make some new memories and that thought excited her more than a little. 

Oliver scooted in after her, immediately drawing her against his side. As Dig snapped the door shut, he turned his head and leaned in to nuzzle along her jaw. “I like this dress,” he murmured. 

“I thought you would…”

“I didn’t say it earlier but you look beautiful. You always do.”

“You already have me for the night,” she pointed out. “You don’t need to butter me up.”

“Maybe I like buttering you up.”

The limo pulled away as Felicity laughed, ducking her head against Oliver’s shoulder. 

“Where are we headed,” she asked, noticing the limo was headed not just out of the Glades but away from downtown where Oliver’s penthouse was located. 

“You’ll see,” Oliver said, teasingly. “But for the next fifteen minutes, I have you all to myself back here and I know just how to spend my time.”

Felicity looked towards the partition and saw that it was closed. Oliver grinned. “Oh, I definitely already thought of that.”

“Okay, well, what else have you thought of?” she asked. 

Oliver didn’t answer, but instead, danced his fingers across the bare skin of her knee. Then, slowly, he drew his fingers up, pulling up the hem of her dress as he went. His fingers barely touched her, just enough to make her shiver and shift in her seat. 

“Spread your legs,” he instructed and Felicity complied right away. 

Oliver made a noise of approval and kept moving his hand up her thigh, towards her cloth-covered center. She was already damp, partially from what happened back in her apartment. His touch right now was making her even wetter. 

He moved her panties aside so he could touch her directly. Felicity made a noise, shifting more on the seat, scooting down so she could press herself into his hand. 

“Eager, aren’t you?” he said. 

“Just touch me,” she groaned. 

Oliver drew a finger up between her folds, gathering her moisture, circling her entrance and then her clit until she made a keening noise. 

“Like that?” he murmured. “Do you want me to make you come?”

“Yes…” she hissed, arching against the seat. 

“Normally, I’d make you wait,” he said, continuing his soft, lazy touches. “But I’ve missed you so much and I want to see you come apart just as badly as you want to come apart.”

Suddenly, he plunged two fingers deep inside her while his thumb flicked at her clit. He pumped his fingers, fucking her with them and she couldn’t help but cry out, clutching at his arms and throwing her head back. Oliver worked her hard and fast but skillfully… he brought her right to the precipice and held her there, thrusting into her g-spot and then drawing back to rub at her weeping entrance. And again. And again. Felicity began to babble, not even sure what she was saying, certainly begging. 

He kept her there for so long, Felicity nearly lost track of time. It felt like it’d been hours instead of just minutes. Finally, however, he pressed his thumb to her clit and began to rub it as he thrust his fingers against her g-spot. 

“Come. Now,” he told her. 

She was drowning in the pleasure, the sensations closing in over her head and pulling her down. But then everything crashed at once, the waves slamming into her and making her cry out as the tension released over and over again. She wept with the exquisite joy of it all, the bone-melting satisfaction spreading through her clear to her fingertips. 

It took her a few moments to finally come back to herself and when she did, she was laying across Oliver’s lap. He was stroking her hair, which was no longer in the ponytail she’d fashioned back at the apartment. 

“Wow,” she breathed. 

“Feel better now?” he asked. She moved, sitting up. But her hand brushed against the front of his trousers, where she could feel that he was hard and hot. 

“I do, but what about you?” 

Oliver shrugged, brushing a lock of hair out of her eyes. “We’re nearly to where we were going. Just enough time for you to clean up and catch your breath.”

He handed her a tissue and she dabbed at her eyes, which had been steaming. He wiped at her legs with another, cleaning her. He took both used tissues and tossed them in a handy trash bin. She found her discarded hair tie and finger combed her hair back into a ponytail. 

“How do I look?” she asked him as she reapplied her lipstick and turned towards him.

“Perfect,” he told her, earnestly. 

Right on time, the limo coasted to a stop. Felicity looked out the window to see they’d pulled up in front of… a castle? 

“What is this place?” she asked, looking back at Oliver. 

He was smiling warmly at her. He glanced out the window. “This is my childhood home.”

“You _lived_ here?” she cried, looking back at the imposing stone edifice. She knew the Queens were Starling royalty (pun intended?) but this was legitimately a castle. The grounds around the ‘house’ were groomed and lush. If there’d been a moat, Felicity wouldn’t have been surprised one little bit. 

“Grew up here, yes. I only moved out in the last couple years, after Thea turned 18 and graduated from high school. With her going to college and only home on breaks, I thought it’d be too lonely to be in this big tomb all by myself. Well, myself and the staff. So I got my penthouse.”

“But you kept the house,” Felicity said. 

“Of course. And most of the staff, who keep it up for me. It’s been in my family for generations. And, as I said, I grew up here. I have some good memories. And maybe some day I’ll have a family and want to live here with them, giving them the same memories I had.”

Felicity felt a lump in her throat as she looked back out at the mansion. It was enormous and, yes, resembled a fortress more than a home. But she would be seeing this place through Oliver’s eyes. Suddenly, she couldn’t wait to see inside, get a little tour, maybe even learn a little more about the man who sat next to her. 

“Thea came home from school for the weekend, again, and I promised her I would have dinner with her tonight before she had to take the train back to Central City for classes in the morning. That’s why we’re here.”

“Wait… I’m meeting your sister?” Felicity felt her stomach drop a little. 

Dig opened the door and Oliver stepped out and then helped her out while she tried to gather her nerve. She hadn’t told Oliver about her phone conversation with Thea. The girl seemed nice enough and there was a large part of her that was excited to meet her. But there was a small and persistent voice in her that worried what Oliver’s sister would think of her. She wanted to make a great impression. 

“Don’t worry,” Oliver said, squeezing her hand as he lead her towards the front door. “She’ll love you.”

He didn’t knock but instead let himself inside. “Thea! Raisa! We’re here!” he called out, his voice echoing off the high ceiling. Felicity gaped as she took in the grand foyer. It was trimmed all in rich wood, with stained glass at the back. Staircases framed the room, reaching up to the second story and leading off into separate wings. A huge stone fireplace dominated the space beneath the second floor landing, family photographs displayed along the heavy wooden mantle. She tried not to gape, but it was difficult.

A middle aged woman with kind eyes and a welcoming smile emerged from a side room. She wore a pain grey dress with a white apron and her black hair was shot through with grey hair and pulled away from her face. “Mister Oliver! So good to see you,” she said in an accented voice. 

“Raisa, it’s wonderful to see you,” he greeted, embracing the woman. He pulled back and reached out for Felicity’s hand again, pulling her to his side. “Raisa, this is Felicity Smoak. Felicity, this is Raisa. She’s been with the family since I was a baby. She practically raised me.”

“That means I have all the good blackmail stories,” Raisa said in a lowered voice, winking at her. 

Felicity grinned. “It’s lovely to meet you, Raisa.”

“Ollie!” a younger voice shrieked from over their heads. 

Felicity looked up to see a beautiful young woman with long, wavy brown hair come bounding down the stairs. She launched off the third step and right into Oliver’s waiting arms. He swung her around. “Hey, Speedy,” he said warmly into her shoulder. “It’s only been a week.”

“I know, but it was an _awful_ week,” Thea said as he set her down. “Made it feel like months instead of days.

“Trouble in your classes?” he asked. 

She rolled her eyes. “Relax, I’m doing fine. Just a lot of work is all. I had a big exam on Friday that had me stressed out. Now… this must be Felicity.” Oliver’s sister turned towards, her, an expectant smile on her pretty face. 

“Yes, this is Felicity. Felicity, this is my sister Thea,” Oliver introduced. 

Felicity stuck out her hand but Thea grabbed her in a hug instead. “I told you we’d meet someday,” she said. “I’m glad I didn’t have to wait too long.”

Oliver met Felicity’s eyes over Thea’s shoulder, looking confused. She shrugged a little. 

“I’m glad I got to meet you too, Thea. I’ve heard so many good things,” she said, and it was true. While they were eating their burgers, he’d gushed about his sister. He didn’t talk about himself that much but his sister? Definitely a source of pride for him. 

“Have you been to the house before?” Thea asked her. 

Felicity shook her head. “No… this place is amazing, by the way. I can’t believe you guys lived here.”

“Still do. Technically. Even though I’m only here when home on vacation. Oliver makes sure the place is taken care of when we’re not here. C’mon, let me take you on a tour.” Thea grabbed Felicity’s hand and tugged her along. She grabbed for Oliver’s hand too, letting him know that he was joining them whether he wanted to or not. 

Thea showed her all through the manor, down each wing and pointed out the most interesting rooms to her, such as the library in the east wing and the ballroom in the west wing. Oliver and Thea’s rooms were in the same hall in the east wing and Felicity insisted on seeing Oliver’s room. 

It was less of a room and more of a suite, with an enormous attached bathroom and a sitting area and fireplace and even its own balcony that overlooked the expansive yard behind the manor. It was all decorated in subdued blues and natural wood tones and looked very masculine and extremely wealthy. 

Thea also showed her the media room on the first floor, just behind the formal sitting room, the kitchen at the rear of the house and the indoor pool that was adjacent to the enormous garage that held at least seven high performance vehicles. 

“Wow. This is better than HGTV,” Felicity murmured, impressed. 

That made Thea laugh. 

When dinner was ready, Raisa called them into the dining room. It was a very formal room, but they all sat at one end of the long table and Oliver and Thea’s banter made things feel a lot more casual. Felicity found herself having a great time as they dished up pasta and salad and drank wine and joked. She needn’t have worried about meeting Thea. The young woman was a lot of fun and very welcoming to her. More than a couple times Felicity caught her watching Oliver and her interact with a smile on her face. 

Felicity knew that Oliver wasn’t that old, only thirty, but he tended to wear those years rather heavily while he ran the company and kept himself apart from everyone. As she watched him with his little sister, the years melted away and she saw a glimpse of the boy he must have been during simpler times. It made her smile to see it, to know there was something in his life where he could let go and just have fun. 

She realized Thea must feel the same thing about her and her relationship with Oliver. She suddenly understood the other woman so much more. 

In fact, Felicity met Thea’s eye across the table at one point and Thea winked at her knowingly. Felicity smiled back and nodded. 

After dinner, Thea had to get to the train station so there wasn’t much time to hang out or watch a movie or anything. Felicity was disappointed. 

“Promise me we’ll get lunch sometime,” Thea said, clasping Felicity’s hands in hers. 

She was hesitant to promise something like that, knowing that she and Oliver weren’t _really_ together like Thea thought they were. But at the same time, this was a girl she could see herself being real friends with. She wanted to embrace that. 

“I promise,” Felicity said, squeezing Thea’s hands. “Next time you’re in town.”

Thea took her phone and put her number in and Felicity did the same. Then they hugged. Thea saved her last hug for Oliver before dashing out to a waiting car, driven by another of the staff, to take her to the station. They waved her away. 

Felicity squeezed Oliver’s hand. “She was fantastic,” she told him. “I really like her.”

Oliver smiled down at her. “I’m glad. I could tell she really liked you too.”

He looked so pleased that she purposefully pushed away any thought about how unrealistic things were with them. Instead, she lifted on her toes and pressed a chaste kiss to his cheek. “What now, Mr. Queen?”

“Now… we head to my penthouse.” His grin turned positively wicked and just like that, Felicity felt the anticipation start to thrum throughout her body. What did he have in store for their night together? She couldn’t wait to find out. 


	10. Chapter 10

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Back at Oliver's penthouse, he and Felicity connect on a more deeper level than they ever have before.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy Olicity wedding week! Our OTP got married on Tuesday! Isn't that fantastic? I thought the crossover was great, a stunning range of emotions for the characters and the viewers. Some parts were very hard to watch, to be sure, but I think in the end, it was all worth it. ANYHOW. I'm headed to San Jose and HVFF this weekend, check out my Twitter to see what hijinks I get up to with my fellow Olicity fans there! 
> 
> *blows out a breath* Okay. I'm a bit nervous to post this but I hope you'll bear with me. And if the content isn't your cup of tea, I won't mind if you feel you need to skip this one. Honestly. You see... I wrote something in the smut here that I haven't written before; anal play and anal sex. There were several reasons I chose to go this route... the biggest reason is that I wanted bring their intimacy to a new level physically and try to tie it their growing emotional intimacy. This required Felicity be vulnerable in a whole new way and there's good and (potentially) bad sides to that for her. But it's meant to be a big deal. The second reason is I wanted to challenge myself as a writer, to see if I could pull it off. I hope I was able to. Now, if this sort of thing isn't your cup of tea, perhaps skip the last half of the chapter, from about halfway through the second section on. I'll leave that up to you to decide. But I do hope you'll give it a shot and let me know what you think. 
> 
> Thank you to my Twitter ladies, who were wonderful at encouraging me with this chapter and to @lexiblackbriar for this absolutely STUNNING poster.

Felicity was a little surprised that they were heading straight to the penthouse. The last time, they’d gone to the gala, gone to Verdant… it’d been hours before they got back to his place. This time, it wasn’t even ten o’clock yet. She wasn’t going to complain though. She was just as anxious to get this evening going as Oliver was. Last time, she’d been filled with nerves and uncertainty (and yes, arousal too). This time, it was just arousal and anticipation. 

Oliver didn’t touch her on the drive back, but she saw him clenching his fingers periodically so she thought it might have been a struggle to refrain. They talked, instead. Mostly about QC’s network security and everything she’d been working on all week long. Apparently, they’d had a few pings on the servers that day, but nothing had come of it so no one was terribly concerned. Still, Oliver had requested Mr. Moss, Felicity’s boss, keep an eye on it over the weekend and let him know if anything awry happened. 

They talked on the elevator ride up to the penthouse as well. Everything was so much easier between them than it’d been last week. They felt like old friends. Or… old lovers. She really hated that word though. It sounded so creepy. But she supposed in this instance, it was appropriate. 

The penthouse was unchanged from last week, the view out the windows was no less spectacular. Last week, she’d been nearly overwhelmed by the opulence. Today, she felt much more comfortable. Oliver took her overnight bag into the bedroom and then went directly to the bar to mix them some drinks. He told her to have a seat at the sofa in front of the fireplace. 

He joined her, handing her a gin and tonic at her request and he sipped his own scotch. They finished their discussion about QC before discussing the dinner at the Queen mansion earlier and Thea. 

“How does she like college?” Felicity asked. 

“She seems to like it really well,” Oliver replied. “She was afraid at first I’d push her to major in business so she could work at the company. But I assured her I wanted her to do whatever _she_ wanted to do. So she’s majoring in Fashion Design and she _loves_ it. It’s right up her alley.”

“Good for her! It’s really hard to do well in college if you’re taking courses you don’t like or care about. Having a passion makes it a lot less like work,” she said, remembering how much she’d loved her technology courses but disliked the required humanities courses. 

“What made you choose MIT? And computers?” Oliver asked, finishing his drink and setting the tumbler aside. 

“It was my dad,” Felicity admitted. “I told you before that he left us when I was little. But before he left, he introduced me to technology. He helped me build my first computer, actually. It’s a passion I inherited from him.”

“You’re an interesting woman, Felicity,” he told her thoughtfully, a small smile playing around his lips. “You’re very capable and intelligent. Then there are times where I feel like you’re so unsure of yourself. Of how others see you.”

“What do you mean?”

“Well. When you’re talking about computers or something you’re passionate or knowledgable about, you radiate confidence. It’s incredibly sexy. But sometimes, when I’m focused on you, when I’m touching you or even just complimenting you, you retreat. It’s almost like you don’t want to believe what I’m telling you. What’s the difference between your confidence with computers and the way you see your beauty and kindness?”

It was a deep question and Felicity had to take a long drink of her G&T while she gathered her thoughts. It was a lot more insightful than she expected Oliver to be tonight. And while it was a bit of a probing question, she didn’t mind it as much as she would have the previous week. 

“I’m not sure,” she said. “I never really thought about it before. I guess I’m just not used to someone complimenting something about me that isn’t my skills. So I don’t really trust it.”

“Did your father ever compliment more than just your intelligence?” he asked gently. 

Felicity thought back. “I don’t remember. If he did, I don’t have a specific memory of it. Which sounds pretty terrible, I know. But I didn’t notice it at the time.”

Oliver hummed thoughtfully. “I just… I hope you don’t think this, that you’re not enough somehow, because of the way your father left.”

She chewed her lip. Was it possible? Did she not think she was enough? She thought about her relationship with Cooper, which was now in smoking ruins. Did she think that was because they’d grown apart or did she really worry that it was because she wasn’t capable of that sort of relationship with anyone, much less Cooper? 

“I didn’t mean to upset you,” Oliver told her, reaching forward to cup her jaw. “I just was curious. And I really want you to believe that you _are_ enough. Felicity, you are amazing and not just because of your intelligence.”

Felicity felt her cheeks heat as she pressed into the warmth of his hand. “I think you could be onto something though. Because hearing that, I want to argue. I want to give you examples of all the ways in which I’m not enough. I never realized it before but… maybe I do have some issues that I never worked with.”

“I’m not one to judge,” he assured her. “I have more than my fair share of issues. But then again, I also see a therapist every Thursday evening.”

“I might have to get their number from you,” she remarked, mostly joking. “Though it’s not easy for me to open up.”

“You’re opening up to me,” he pointed out, smiling. 

“Yeah, but after tonight… its over,” she said with a helpless shrug. “It feels… safer, somehow.” 

Oliver sobered and nodded. “I admit I’ve felt the same thing, and maybe that’s why I asked you about it. It feels like for years I’ve thought I’m not good enough. My parents were so disappointed in me before they passed. I’ve spent the last eight years doing what I think they would have wanted me to do, but I constantly feel like it’s never enough.”

“Oh, Oliver,” Felicity said, her heart going out to him. 

“I had a lot of expectations on me growing up and I spent so much time fighting back against all that. I acted out and threw my parents’ advice in their faces, turned my back on the privilege I grew up with… and I feel awful about it now.”

“Your parents wouldn’t want you to feel awful,” she told him earnestly. “Even if you weren’t doing a brilliant job with QC, which you are, you’ve done amazing with Thea. They would be so proud of you.”

His eyes shone as he smiled at her. “Thank you for saying that.” He leaned forward to press a kiss to her lips. 

“I meant every word,” she murmured, pressing forward to kiss him again. 

She felt like she understood him better now. They really weren’t all that different after all. They both had insecurities borne out of their pasts but were striving to move beyond it now. That was pretty remarkable, she thought. But there was one thing she wanted to mention…

“I need you to know, Oliver…” she said, trailing off and unsure how she was going to say this. He focused on her as she struggled to find the words. “I’m not here because of any past trauma or worrying that I’m not enough. I don’t even think I’m here this time because of the money.”

His eyebrows went up. “Oh?”

Feeling more sure now that she felt the truth of what she was saying, Felicity continued. “Before, it was the money. That and helping out Cooper. Okay, and there was curiosity too. There was something between us and I wanted to see what it was.”

“I felt that too,” he murmured, taking her hands and rubbing his thumb over the backs ofthem. “There was something there, from that first moment you walked into my office. I couldn’t put my finger on it but I couldn’t stop thinking about you either.”

“I’m here this time because I wanted to be. I’d had a fight with Cooper and he was being an ass. He wanted me to do this second night for the money. And that just… really bothered me.”

A dark look crossed Oliver’s face. “What did he say? He didn’t do anything to you, did he?”

She lifted a shoulder. “It’s not really important.”

“But it is. If he treats you in a way you don’t deserve—“

“What if _do_ deserve it, though? I just told you that I came with you tonight because I wanted to. I have a _boyfriend_. Oliver, that’s not okay. I never thought I was a cheater but… being with you… I, I can’t seem to help it and I think that makes me a terrible person.”

“There isn’t a force in the world that could make you a terrible person, Felicity,” Oliver assured her. “And if anyone doesn’t deserve something, its Cooper. He doesn’t deserve you.”

“Oliver…” she said, feeling breathless at his admission. 

“I’m serious. I would offer millions of dollars to be with you. I’d offer as many times as it took to have you here with me. But, Felicity, make no mistake… I would _never_ give you up to another man. Not for _anything_.”

Her heart felt like it was fluttering in her chest. Tears sprang to her eyes but she blinked them back. “That’s easy to say for you because you have money,” she argued weakly. 

“If I had nothing, it would still be true, Felicity.”

She swallowed around the ball of emotion in her throat. “I—I wanted Cooper to say that. I wanted him, in the beginning, to say no. But he didn’t.”

“That’s why he doesn’t deserve you. Any man that is willing to give you away doesn’t deserve to have you in the first place.”

“Is it so wrong that I would want my boyfriend to think that?” she asked. “I was wondering if I was crazy, if I was wanting something from him that just wasn’t realistic…”

“No, it’s not wrong. Listen, Felicity. I might not deserve you either. God knows I’ve been a fuckup more often than not in my life. The way I’ve brought you into my life proves that. But I promise you, if you were mine, I would _never_ stop fighting for you. Ever.”

“Well,” she said, drawing out the l’s, “tonight I am. Yours, that is.”

Oliver stared at her, his eyes wide. He swallowed and his eyes darkened noticeably. “That’s right. Tonight you _are_ mine.”

***

Felicity stood on the balcony, the night breeze whipping through her hair. She’d taken her ponytail out, stashing the tie in her overnight bag. She’d also taken off her heels and the cool concrete of the balcony felt good on the heated flesh of her feet. 

She was getting a breath while Oliver took a call from the office. His phone had rang right after her told her that tonight she was his. He hadn’t wanted to answer it but it was Mr. Moss from IT and Felicity knew that Oliver had him on call this weekend and that it could be important. So she’d urged him to take the call, saying she could use some fresh air. 

It’d only been a few minutes and all things being fair, Felicity needed those few minutes. That conversation had gotten very personal and intimate and she was feeling a lot of things right then. She was also very confused. 

Oliver being unavailable as a romantic partner was a fact she had worked very hard to remind herself of from the very first moment she met him. Regardless of her own relationship status, she knew that there was no way Oliver would ever want to be with her in a committed relationship. But then he’d said those things to her just now and it was ruining her resolve. Her unshakeable belief that she could never be with Oliver like that was now… shaken. 

It left her feeling vulnerable and exposed. 

Felicity hadn’t told Oliver that the fight with Cooper made her realize she didn’t want to be his girlfriend any longer. In fairness, she hadn’t even told Cooper yet. It was a very new realization on her part. But now she was afraid to say something because… what if he did want something with her? What if her entire world was turned upside down even more than it already was? 

She clutched the balcony railing a little tighter, suddenly feeling she was very high up indeed. 

“Hey,” a soft voice said from behind her. 

Felicity turned to see Oliver standing in the doorway, leaning against it. He had his ankles crossed and he was just watching her. 

“Done with your phone call?”

He nodded, biting his lips. “Yep.”

“Was it important?”

“Yes. You were right. But don’t worry about it for now. It’s taken care of. Right now, it’s all about you and I in that bedroom.”

She raised an eyebrow, smirking. “Oh yeah? You think I’m that easy?”

“Well. I gave you all my best lines back there,” he said, jerking his thumb over his shoulder towards the living room and the sofa they’d sat on. 

“They were pretty good lines.”

Oliver sauntered over to her, reaching up to cup her cheek, brushing his thumb. “I’m sorry for that, by the way. It was a lot to unleash on you and I apologize.”

Felicity blinked. “Oliver, its fine.”

“It’s just… these last eight years have been difficult. I’ve lost a lot of who I was in that time, but a lot of that man I lost wasn’t a very good man to begin with.”

She thought about the gossip articles she’d seen about him, all the antics, the arrests, the drunkenness and debauchery… He’d acted like a spoiled rich kid back then, not a man. But she also thought maybe he was being a bit hard on himself. 

“I also lost the part of me that was happy, that wasn’t so lonely all the time. I sacrificed my personal life to save my family’s fortune and company and to raise my sister. I was glad to do it, of course I was, but I still lost it.”

“You can find it again,” she promised him. 

He smiled down at her. “I think I can. You see, the thing is… Felicity… you make me feel selfish. For the first time in eight years, I think about what I want. And for one crazy moment, I feel this urge to give up everything, for a woman. One woman in particular.”

What he was saying was making her heart pound, but Felicity forced herself to blow it off, not take him too seriously. “You’re in danger of getting pretty corny there, Mr. Queen.”

“You make me want to be corny, Felicity.”

She swallowed. “You know… if we’d met differently, if our situations were different… I could be head over heels in love with you.” She knew it was true, without a shadow of a doubt. 

Oliver’s eyes darkened. “If you ever do think you feel that way, that you’ve fallen for me… will you tell me? Right away?”

Felicity nodded. “I will.” But she had to wonder… what if she already did? Maybe she already was in love with Oliver Queen and she just hadn’t accepted it yet. 

His features smoothed out and she could tell he was switching gears. “Good. Now. You and I have business,” he growled as he looked down her body. 

Her entire body flushed nearly instantly. Oliver moved swiftly and in a moment, she was tossed over his shoulder in a fireman carry, his hand on her ass as he strode through his apartment towards the bedroom. On the trip there, she had an _excellent_ view of his ass. 

Last time, he’d had her strip for him. This time, he clearly didn’t have the patience for such teasing. He set her down next to the bed and then immediately yanked the zipper of her dress down. Felicity slipped her glasses off, leaning over to set them on the bedside table and as soon as she straightened up again, he pulled her dress off, leaving her in her matching white lace bra and underwear. 

“Jesus,” he gasped, stepping back to take her in with his eyes. “You look so fucking amazing.”

Felicity was finally able to accept that Oliver found her body attractive. She’d never really experienced that before, not even with Cooper. She knew her breasts were on the small side, and her thighs and ass were a little thicker than was generally considered ideal. But when Oliver looked at her like that, his eyes blazing with lust, she knew that her body turned him on. And that made her feel _incredible_. 

“You look amazing too,” she told him. “Let me see…” 

Felicity stepped forward and grabbed for his shirt, slipping the buttons through the holes swiftly before pushing the edges apart, revealing his chiseled form. Shit…if possible he might have more abs than he did a week ago. She let her fingers skate over the rippling muscles, enjoying how they contracted at her touch. 

Stepping closer, she slid her hands under the waistband of his trousers. His skin was so hot and firm. “So sexy,” she murmured as she started to work at the button and zipper. 

While she was doing that, Oliver reached behind her to unclasp her bra. 

Within moments, they were both bare but Oliver didn’t waste any more moments looking. He pulled her to him as he walked backwards to the bed. He fell back on it, scooting back and pulling her on top of him. Felicity went willingly, her hands smoothing over his chest and shoulders, marveling at how warm he was. Before she could get settled on top of him, however, he was spinning her around. 

“Wha—?” She grabbed at the bedspread to steady herself. 

“I want to try something,” he said gruffly. “Here, let me move you.”

Felicity gave herself over to his hands, letting him position her. He drew her hips back over his chest, until her legs were on either side of his head and she was looking at his most impressive erection, bobbing in front of her. That’s when she got a pretty good clue what he wanted to try. 

She’d never done this before but any self consciousness she felt was instantly dissolved by her own quickening arousal. She wanted to give Oliver pleasure and knew he felt the same way about her. To share that giving of pleasure like this would be… intense and amazing. 

Without preamble, she took his heavy erection in hand and circled the purpled tip with her tongue. Oliver’s groan was muffled as he pressed kisses to the insides of her thighs, working up to her core. His stubble scratched in the most perfect way and she couldn’t help but flex her hips towards him, encouraging more contact. Simultaneously, she squeezed the base of his cock with her fist as she licked down the bulging vein that ran the length of his shaft. Then, she took him into her mouth, as much as she could manage, letting him fill her. 

It was distracting, to feel Oliver’s tongue dragging through her folds while she was trying to concentrate on sucking his dick into her throat. Sometimes, Felicity had to pull off so she could groan and gasp for breath. Oliver was doing the same and the sounds the two of them were making… it was the most erotic thing she’d ever experienced. 

Oliver’s hips thrust very slightly towards her and she mimicked the motion. He seemed to enjoy that, his hands stroking over her hips as she moved them over his mouth. In reply, Felicity moved both of her hands to his cock, squeezing and working them as she sucked the tip into her mouth. 

Then… Felicity felt one of Oliver’s fingers brush over her back entrance and she stiffened a little. He stilled his movements and pulled his lips back from her soaking pussy. 

“Okay?” he asked. 

“Y-yeah. Just… wasn’t expecting that,” she said breathily. 

“Is this okay?” he asked, brushing his thumb over the same spot, pressing a little. Pleasure bloomed from his touch and her hips flexed automatically. 

“Yes,” she said on a moan as he pressed the tip of his thumb very gently against her rosette. Then, his lips returned to her center, spearing into her and she felt heat wash over her. 

Oliver was very gentle, using his other hand to draw up her juices from her pussy to circle around her puckered entrance and using light pressure with his thumb. He massaged as much as he pressed and woke up all these nerve endings that Felicity wasn’t even aware existed. She tried to focus on his cock but the sensations were so overwhelming. 

“That’s it, baby,” he encouraged, pressing a kiss to her thigh. “Just feel.”

Felicity kept working his cock with her hands, that was something she could do while giving herself over to the pleasure he was giving her. 

“Oh… _god_ ,” she groaned as his thumb slowly pushed inside of her. It was tight, but the digit moved easily because of the juices of her arousal. It felt strange but exciting and she pushed her hips towards his thumb, wanting more. 

He kept it up until she could feel her body relaxing under the constant, gentle pressure. Then, he withdrew his thumb and she grumbled her objection, making him chuckle. Then, he pressed his index finger in where his thumb had been and she moaned again. Again, he went slowly, waiting until her ring of muscles relaxed and allowed him in fully. 

Oliver resumed eating her out, this time with a finger pumping in her ass and Felicity wanted to scream at the sensations that were crashing over her. It made her feel wild and she returned her attention to his straining dick, directing her passion towards making him feel as out of control as she did. 

His hips moved more frenetically, telling her she was doing a good job. Her entire focus was narrowed to this act; towards receiving this pleasure and giving in to an endless feedback loop of heady sensation. It all built and built until Felicity couldn’t stand it any longer and she screamed out her release. 

Things got hazy after that but she felt Oliver move her, laying her down on the bed. He moved away briefly but then he was back, nudging her legs apart. Felicity felt like jell-o and allowed herself to be pliant. 

“I’m going to fuck you now,” Oliver said. “It’s going to be hard and fast.” 

“Yes…” she moaned. He hadn’t come in her hands or her mouth. He had to still be so hard, needing release. She wanted that release to happen inside of her. 

Oliver turned her over so she lay on her stomach. He pulled her hips up and then she felt him push into her on one long, hard glide. She cried out when his hips snapped into hers. Her hands fisted the bedspread while he pounded into her, his fingers gripping her hips. 

Then… she felt his finger again. He drew it up from where they were joined, drawing her moisture up to her rosette once more. Again, he massaged her and Felicity was still so relaxed from her orgasm and completely consumed with his possession of her body that he was able to push his finger into her easily. 

She felt him there, there and inside her pussy and it was an intense feeling. She was filled completely by him and as he fucked into her over and over… Felicity found that she loved it. She loved the possessive edge to his actions. He held her so tightly, he moved so fiercely within her. 

This was different than their first night together. This was so much more intimate, so much more carnal and potent. Felicity knew Oliver felt it too, the way he called out her name as he grew closer to his own release, the way he moved in her, the way he commanded her soul. When she shouted out her release moments later, the orgasm swiftly overtaking her, Felicity knew… she was losing her heart to this man. 

***

They lay, side by side, spent for the moment. Felicity felt boneless, like she was sinking into the mattress. Oliver lay next to her, drawing little patterns on her bare back with his fingertips. He’d gotten up to use the restroom and wash and he’d come back with a washcloth for her and some other supplies that Felicity hadn’t bothered to notice. She was too busy trying to find what was left of her senses since Oliver had just fucked them all out of her. 

“Wow,” Felicity said, after several long moments. 

“Agreed,” he mumbled, sounding winded. “That was even better than I was expecting.”

“Same here. And I wasn’t even sure what to expect.”

He hummed. “Are you enjoying yourself so far tonight?”

“You know I am,” she replied, snuggling against him. “And I’m not just talking about the sex.”

“That’s… good. I’m glad I took you to meet my sister.”

“Thank you for taking me to meet your sister,” she returned. 

“She was asking me about you,” Oliver admitted. “I don’t know how she knew your name…”

“She found my number in your phone. Apparently you were acting weird last weekend so she took it upon herself to investigate. I got a phone call.”

His hand stopped moving on her back, palm splaying between her shoulder blades. “She called you? When?” 

“Sunday night, I think. Anyhow, I enjoyed talking to her but I wasn’t sure if I’d ever meet her. It was nice. And I liked seeing where you grew up and meeting Raisa.”

He resumed stroking her. “I’m glad I brought you there,” he said. “I-I wasn’t sure if I should. But it felt right. I’m glad you weren’t uncomfortable.”

“Far from it,” she said. “I felt like… I belonged.”

Oliver was silent but a moment later she felt his lips on her shoulder. He kissed down the length of her spine. Felicity felt her arousal flare again. 

“How is it that you kiss my back and just like that, I want you again?” she asked lazily.

“It’s only fair,” he murmured against her skin. “All I need to do is look at you and I want you.” 

“After tonight… its over,” she reminded him, feeling the sadness of that truth tug at her heart. There was no escaping it. Even though she would probably breakup with Cooper, the fact remained, she and Oliver lived in different worlds. And he wasn’t looking for a girlfriend. Felicity didn’t think she could do casual… not even for him. 

“I don’t want to think about that right now,” he said. “Right now, you are mine.”

“Yes… I am…” 

He continued to lavish attention on her back. He sat up so he could reach more of her skin, stroking along her flanks with his fingers, rubbing her muscles. She groaned into the pillow as his lips traveled further down her back, to where her ass began. Oliver moved, sitting up to straddle her legs. She saw him reach for something on the bedside table… a bottle of lotion.

He worked the lotion in his hands, warming it before spreading it over her back, kneading her muscles. Again, he moved down towards her lower back and her butt, scooting down her legs to give himself room. His hands were huge and warm on her ass, working the lotion in, lavishing attention and touch on a part of her that never got that sort of treatment. 

“I love your ass,” he murmured. 

“Cooper always said I could stand to lose a few pounds,” Felicity said before she caught herself. Shit. She forgot the rule about mentioning him while in bed with Oliver. 

But he didn’t seem to care. “He’s an idiot, then,” Oliver declared. “No man with a brain in his head wouldn’t want to worship an ass like this.”

He was gentle but firm with his strokes, working the lotion into her skin. He pulled her cheeks apart, which made her gasp a little. She felt his fingers massage down her crease, over and over until she relaxed again. 

“Does this feel good, Felicity?” he asked hoarsely. 

“Mmm,” she sighed. “It does.”

“Good,” he murmured. His hands kept working though he focused more on her rosette, rubbing over it until she was shifting her hips against the mattress. “Have you ever…?” He trailed off, rubbing his fingers purposefully over that puckered hole. 

Felicity knew what he was asking and tried not to blush. She shook her head. “N-no. I haven’t.” Cooper hadn’t even shown any interest in her ass generally and anal sex specifically. And before Cooper, her high school boyfriend and her had been young and pretty ignorant of sexual things, considering. But… she’d be lying if she said she hadn’t thought about it a few times. 

“Never?” Oliver sounded incredulous. He kept touching her, his movements insistent. 

“Never,” she replied. 

He hummed and Felicity turned her head as far as she could to see his face. He had an intent expression as he continued to play with her ass, but he definitely looked… pleased. She fought a soft snort as she rested her cheek back down on the mattress. Oliver feeling a sort of possessive satisfaction at the thought of being the first one to play with her ass wouldn’t surprise her one bit. 

“I’d like to fuck you here,” he murmured, circling the spot with his thumb. “May I?”

Felicity bit her lip. She was nervous. It could hurt. But more than that, it would make her completely vulnerable to this man. She would be giving something to him that she wasn’t sure she should give him. He was already working his way into her heart and how could she keep him out if she let him take _all_ of her?

At the same time… she _really_ wanted it. His touch was setting her on fire and taking this further with him, right now, was all she wanted to do. Nerve endings she hadn’t even known she had were being stimulated and she was rapidly spiraling out of control with arousal.

“Please,” she gasped. 

Oliver kissed her between her shoulder blades once more, drawing up over her shoulder to kiss behind her ear. “Thank you,” he said quietly. Then, he drew back, taking his hands from her body making her grumble. 

“I’m going to make this as pleasurable as I can for you,” he told her. “I’ll go slow and gentle and anytime you want me to stop, you just say so. Okay? You tell me to stop, I’ll stop.”

“Okay.”

She felt something cold drip onto the crack of her ass and shivered. “Shhh… it’s just lube,” he said. “I’m going to try to open you up a bit. Try to relax, okay? Don’t fight my touch, surrender to it.”

She blew out a breath and nodded. His fingers returned, slick now, and he worked her tight hole even more purposefully. The tip of his index finger pressed in and she could feel her body fighting to reject the digit. Felicity focused on relaxing, remembering how she felt after he made her orgasm, going loose all over… 

The finger slid in further and she groaned. The tight slide felt amazing, even more so than it had before when they were fucking, and when he was eating her out. She was able to focus on the sensation… or she was until Oliver used his other hand to reach underneath her and rub at her clit. 

“Oooohhh,” she moaned, shifting her hips against the bed. 

After that, she didn’t have to focus as much as on relaxing. Because each time her body would stiffen, when he’d push in further or add another finger, he would redouble his touch on her clit and she would melt. True to his word, he was careful not to hurt her, gently spreading her open. He scissored his fingers, stretching her, all the while murmuring encouragement and praise. 

“You’re amazing,” he told her, his voice gruff. “You’re doing fantastic. God, Felicity, this is going to be so good.”

She whimpered, gripping the bedspread tighter. He had three fingers in her ass now and was rubbing her clit vigorously. “I’m g-gonna—!” 

“Come! Felicity, I need you to come for me, I need you to let yourself feel all this pleasure and let it turn you to jelly. C’mon, honey…”

Felicity’s orgasm overwhelmed her a moment later; she was always helpless to resist his demands when it came to her release. He told her to come… and she came. Every time. She cried out, the bedspread muffling the sound a bit but her hips bucked into his fingers as the heat rushed through her, leaving her spent. 

But Oliver wasn’t done. He was just getting started. She opened her eyes when he turned her over and saw him wiping his fingers on a washcloth he’d left on the bedside table. She was touched by how pragmatic that was and also how thoughtful… he’d really thought of everything. 

He moved between her legs, lifting up her hips. He took a pillow and rolled it a little, arranging it underneath her so her ass was lifted up. “We’re doing this on my back?” she asked.

Oliver nodded. “I can better gauge how you’re feeling, if I’m hurting you. Plus, I just really want to be face to face for this.”

Felicity nodded, understanding. She continued to watch as he picked up a condom and held it up for her to see. 

“I thought you said no condoms,” Felicity murmured. 

“I make an exception in this case, partly because this is your first time. Now, I can explain to you why or I can get back to touching you. What would you prefer?” he asked, a smile quirking the corners of his lips. 

“Touch me. Yes, that.”

“I thought so.” 

He quickly sheathed himself and then picked up the bottle of lube. He added more to his covered dick and also to her back entrance. He kept his eyes on her and she felt pinned by him. She was completely at his mercy… and that excited her. 

Oliver took his dick in his hand and moved forward, rubbing a hand down her leg, relaxing her. He leaned forward, dipping his head to brush a kiss over her breast, and then he sat back again as she felt him pressing at her rosette. Her instinct was to tense but she blew out a breath. Oliver used his other hand to stroke through her folds. He nudged her clit, making her arch her back and moan. The pressure in her ass grew as he pushed more, the head of his cock finally popping in and making her whimper. 

“Shh, shh… You’re doing great,” he told her. “Nice and easy… I’m going slowly.”

Felicity breathed out, focusing on the feel of his fingers at her pussy, strumming her clit, building her arousal back up. The pressure below grew but it was less pain and more just a stretching sensation that she gave herself over to. 

“Good… just like that, honey,” Oliver murmured. “God, my cock looks amazing, disappearing into your tight ass…”

That made her moan and he slipped in further. They both groaned and Oliver’s head dipped. 

“Wow,” she gasped. 

“You’re so hot, so tight… shit, Felicity…”

Seeing how this was affecting him made her arousal climb higher even as the heat licked through her limbs. Sweat stood out on his brow and on his chest. He was still stroking her pussy but his other hand was now gripping her thigh, the fingers digging into her soft flesh.

He gave little thrusts, slowly and gently pushing in a little further each time.Felicity reached for him, squeezing his arm. 

“C’mon, Oliver… just do it. You’re in, I’m stretched…”

“I don’t… don’t wanna hurt you…”

“You’re not hurting me. It feels good, so _good_. Just… I need to feel you. All of you.”

“God,” he groaned. 

Felicity tried something, she clenched down on him. It was a strange feeling, different muscles than she was used to. But judging from the way Oliver’s expression changed, she knew she’d done it correctly. 

“Shit! Fuck… Felicity…”

“Fuck me, Oliver…”

“Fuck…”

He snapped his hips, finally sheathing himself entirely in her ass. Felicity cried out. It burned a little, the stretch was nearly painful, but it also felt… complete. She felt so full. And when he slid two fingers into her pussy moments later, that fullness increased. 

“Oliver!”

“Oh god, Felicity…”

“Please… move….”

“Are you sure?” he panted. 

“Yes… _please_ …”

So he began to move. Slowly at first, pumping his hips and drawing his length in and out of her tight channel. His fingers pumped in and out of her pussy as his thumb flicked her clit. Felicity gave herself over entirely to the sensations, the familiar and the foreign. Oliver sped up and she started to babble, arching her back and grabbing at the bedspread. 

It felt so _good_. Felicity couldn’t believe how amazing it felt to have him there, in her ass, owning it and owning _her_ in the process. Oliver was making the most amazing noises too, she’d never seen him so overwhelmed with pleasure before and it was intoxicating. Her entire being narrowed to this moment, to these feelings. 

“Honey… I’m gonna come,” he warned her, his rhythm starting to falter. 

“Harder,” she gasped. 

He complied readily, slamming into her, their flesh slapping and their cries increasing. He withdrew the fingers from her pussy and used them to pinch her clit. Felicity shrieked as she fell apart, her whole body clenching and unclenching. Oliver cried out too, his voice echoing off the walls and in her ears as he held himself still, his cock twitching in her ass as he emptied into the condom. 

When he stilled, Oliver slowly pulled out of her ass and then dropped onto the bed next to her. He was panting for air just as hard as she was. For a breathless moment, Felicity swore she’d seen stars. She’d never come so hard in her _life_. 

“Wow,” she breathed, once she was able to find her voice. 

“Thank you,” Oliver said, pulled her to his side and she curled up into him willingly, enjoying how his fingers stroked her back as they both came down from their highs. 

So… _that_ happened…

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well? *bites nails* Should I go hide some more? I think it's funny I'm more scared about sharing THIS than any angst I ever post but here we are!


	11. Chapter 11

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Oliver and Felicity spend the rest of their night together and some truths are revealed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello everyone! Got back from HVFF SJ last night... wow, that was a fun time. Like... REALLY fun. I had a blast with friends and the fandom stuff was amazing too. There is nothing like seeing Stephen and Emily in person. NOTHING. I feel blessed. What lovely people they are! I feel warm and snuggly even now (with it being below freezing outside!) just thinking about it! 
> 
> I want to thank you all for the amazing reaction to the last chapter. I was nervous to post it but you were all so wonderful in your responses. I'm still replying to comments but I need you to know I cherish every single one. You guys are awesome. I hope you enjoy this chapter too. 
> 
> Big thanks again to my pals over on Twitter who encouraged me with this and to @lexiblackbriar for the beautiful posters.

Her legs and arms still felt tingly and numb as Oliver pulled her into the shower a short while later. They both needed to clean up and a hot shower sounded like it would be amazing on her sore muscles. Felicity felt completely blissed out and if he’d lead her off the end of a bridge, she wouldn’t have cared in that moment. She just wanted to be in his arms, just a little while longer. 

The shower in his bathroom was incredible, like something out of a design magazine. Clear glass doors framed travertine and slate tile. There were two skylights in the ceiling above, a shower-head above as well as one affixed to the wall with the controls. There was a third shower-head, this one detachable, on the opposite wall. Running the length of the shower was a built in bench that gave Felicity some very specific thoughts. 

Oliver stepped in and turned on the taps, filling the space with steam and then he beckoned her to join him. Grinning, Felicity stepped in and closed the glass door behind her. Oliver grabbed some shower gel from one of the inset shelves in the wall and squirted some into his palm. He proceeded to soap her up thoroughly, kneading where he knew her muscles were sore and paying attention to each spot on her body that might need some attention. Felicity stood there and tried not to purr too loudly at the lavish attention. 

When he finished, he stood before her and she grinned. “My turn.” She took the same shower gel from the shelf and repeated the process. She spent a lot of time soaping up his chest and abs, just for the excuse to run her fingers over the slick muscles. She washed his legs, his arms, his rear and then finished with his cock. She made sure there was plenty of lather on her hands and she worked him with her hands, stroking and pulling and squeezing until he was groaning and thrusting into her hand. 

“Felicity…” he moaned. 

“God, I love your cock,” she murmured, admiring the sight of it slipping through her slicked hands. 

“Fuck,” he growled, finally batting her hands away and rinsing off his dick. Then, he moved backwards, sitting on the bench and pulling her with him. 

She straddled his lap easily, climbing onto him and he reached for his dick and urged her hips up so he could position himself at her entrance. Felicity obliged, settling over him and letting him run through her nether lips a few times, nudging her clit and causing a zing of arousal to shoot through her. Then, she settled back, feeling the head of his cock at her entrance. 

Felicity sat slowly, feeling him slip inside, filling her core and making her moan. Oliver steadied her with his hands at her hips, then guided her movements on his lap. They came together as thought they’d been doing this for years, attuned to each other and how to move together to bring about the maximum pleasure. Felicity braced her hands on his shoulders while he held her hips and when she moved down, he moved up. 

She looked down into his eyes. Oliver was staring up at her like she was the moon, his eyes dark and his mouth hanging open. Felicity dipped her head and kissed him. He kissed her back, his tongue searching out hers, tangling and tasting. They continued to move on each other, their arousals building together, higher and higher. 

They kept kissing as they moved together and Felicity felt her orgasm building, coiling tighter. She gripped the back of Oliver’s neck, whimpering into his mouth as she tried to hold off that delicious tumble. Oliver must have sensed how close she was, felt the tremble in her walls, because he groaned in reply, his hips speeding up. 

They came together, finally detaching their lips so they could cry out at the exquisite pleasure. The pulses rocketed through her body and she held onto Oliver as she rode them out. Oliver’s arms banded around her, holding her close as he panted for breath in her ear. The water continued to stream, the steam rising around them and Felicity had never felt such complete contentment and connection with another person as she did right that minute. 

Oliver drew back and met her eye, looking just as wrecked as she felt. He kissed her and then stood, still holding her close and tight in his arms. Felicity held on, legs around his waist, aware that they were both wet and slippery. But Oliver had a good hold on her, his arms were strong around her and he moved with surety… turning off the taps and then stepping out of the shower, through the bathroom and into the bedroom. 

She thought to protest, as he set her down on the bed, that she was wet and would soak the sheets. But he was wet too. And she was finding her muscles were limp and her mind was exhausted. In fact, as soon as Oliver joined her and pulled a blanket up over both of them, she drifted off to sleep as his arms pulled her against his warm body. 

Felicity woke to fingers stroking her face. Blinking her eyes open, she could see Oliver watching her, touching her. A light in the bathroom was still on, illuminating just enough that should see the softness in his eyes as he watched her. 

“What time is it?” she asked huskily. 

“It’s about two in the morning,” he answered. “We didn’t sleep long.”

“You slept too?” she asked, surprised. The last time, he hadn’t slept much at all. 

He smiled. “You wore me out.”

Felicity rolled her eyes. “I’m pretty sure you wore me out more.”

“It was my privilege,” he said. “Seeing you come apart in my arms is easily one of the best things I’ve ever witnessed.”

“You say such sweet things… I have no idea if you mean them,” she admitted. 

“I mean them, Felicity.” His voice brooked no argument. “I need you to believe how much I want you, how beautiful you are and how aroused you make me just by being you.”

“I just… I wonder,” she said, tracing an invisible pattern on his pectoral with her finger, avoiding his eyes. 

“What do you wonder?”

“Why did you pick me?” she asked. “There’s so many beautiful woman, even at QC. You could have offered this deal to any of them and they would have leapt at the chance to be with you.”

“I didn’t want to offer this to any of them. I wanted _you_.” 

“I just don’t see why.”

“I know you don’t. But believe me when I tell you, I saw something in you. I was drawn to you like I haven’t been drawn to anyone before. It was like… like I didn’t even have a _choice_. I had to have you.”

“It just… this sort of thing doesn’t happen to me. Last week I didn’t think it was a blessing but this week… I’m not so sure,” she murmured. 

He pressed a kiss to her temple. “Does that mean you feel something for me?” he asked softly. 

“Of course I do,” she answered. “I don’t know what but… like you said, there’s something in you. I’m drawn to you.” 

“You know, Cooper knew this could happen. When I made the offer, he knew there was a chance you’d feel something for me. There was nothing in the papers, nothing in our discussion in my office that ruled out feelings.” 

Felicity was silent for a long moment, running her fingers over the muscles of his well-defined chest, circling one flat nipple. It surprised her that he would bring up Cooper… and in bed no less! What had changed over the last week, she wondered. “I can’t let myself fall for you,” she said at last. “You’re too dangerous.”

He brushed a kiss over her forehead. “I’m harmless,” he told her. She snorted. “What if I want you to fall?”

“Do you know how messy that would make my life?” she asked him. “I like order, and control and… planning my future. This would set off a bomb in my life.”

“Well, I _am_ pretty skilled at making you explode,” he said with a wink, dissolving the tension. 

“ _That_ kind of explosion I can handle,” she said, snuggling further into his embrace. But it was the only explosion she wanted in her life. Felicity was pretty sure she’d be returning to her apartment to break up with her boyfriend as it was. She didn’t think she could handle any more bombs in her life beyond that. Even if it was a beautiful bomb like Oliver Queen. 

Maybe _especially_ if it was Oliver Queen. 

***

Their growling stomachs eventually chased them from the comfortable warmth of the bed. They both agreed that pizza sounded amazing so Oliver found a pizza place that was open and delivering all night long and placed an order for a large pineapple pizza for them to split. Felicity was delighted to see that he enjoyed pineapple as a topping too since both Cooper and Curtis always gave her a hard time about it. 

Felicity put on a pair of lounge pants and a t shirt she’d packed in her overnight bag while Oliver threw on some sweatpants and a white shirt. When the pizza arrived, they sat cross-legged on the living room floor to eat it, splitting a bottle of wine between them as they ate. 

They joked, talking about their most embarrassing moments while growing up. Felicity’s sides hurt from laughing so much, her cheeks ached from smiling, but she was having a great time. She couldn’t help but feel like a real couple, enjoying a pizza together. It was a seductive fantasy but she had to remind herself that it was just that; a _fantasy_. 

“In seventh grade, Tommy stole my underwear while we were in gym class and ran it up the flag pole outside the school. Everyone saw it when school let out that afternoon,” Oliver was telling her. 

“Can I ask why you weren’t _wearing_ the underwear?” she asked, fighting back the giggles. 

“I changed it! They were all sweaty from playing basketball so I had a spare pair in my locker.”

“Ew. So Tommy took _your_ sweaty underwear and ran it up the flagpole?”

“Yep,” he said, popping the ‘p’. 

“Was this to punish you? Or him? Because… _yikes_.”

Oliver laughed. “Right? That’s what I told him. He said it was worth it, though, to see my face literally turn purple with embarrassment when Sheila Danbury, who I had a _huge_ crush on, laughing about it with her friends after school.”

“Aww, Oliver. I’m sorry.” She patted his arm, biting back her smile. “So, I’m guessing you never got a chance to take her to the school dance or anything then.”

He sighed. “Not that year, anyhow. But a year later, I got to first base with her at Tommy’s birthday party.” Oliver waggled his brows at her and Felicity busted out laughing. 

“You’re incorrigible,” she said between gasps. 

“Raisa used to always say that about me too,” Oliver remarked fondly.

“Hey, do you have any ice cream?” Felicity asked. She couldn’t eat another slice of pizza, but she felt she still had room for some chocolate ice cream. 

“I don’t,” Oliver admitted. “I had a little bit left last week but Thea ate it all when she came over and I haven’t had a chance to go get more.”

Felicity pouted. “Ice cream would have made this perfect.”

“The bodega on the corner sells ice cream and they’re open all night,” he said as he got to his feet. He reached for her hand, pulling her to her feet next to him. “C’mon. Let’s go.”

“Now?” she squeaked, looking down at the computer printed lounge pants and ratty t-shirt she was wearing. Okay, so she hadn’t really had any sexy pajamas to pack… Oliver seemed to think they were cute, which was the important thing.

Oliver shrugged. “Sure. I go down there in my sweats all the time.”

“What if its cold?” she asked with a whimper. 

Oliver rolled his eyes but was smiling fondly. “I’ll loan you a sweatshirt. Let’s go! The sooner we go, the sooner we get back and can have some ice cream. And then I can ravage your body again.”

Felicity grinned. “Okay, you make a compelling argument.”

She was glad she’d thrown some sneakers into her overnight bag as she slipped those on while Oliver retrieved her one of his sweatshirts to wear over her t-shirt. He wore boat shoes with his sweatpants but swore he didn’t need a jacket or anything over his t-shirt, claiming he ran hot and was immune to cold. Felicity just shook her head at his macho-ness. 

They waved to Jerome at the security desk as they walked outside. It was a beautiful night, quiet and calm. It was definitely cool but the weather hadn’t turned bitter cold yet. The changing of the seasons was right around the corner though. 

The bodega was indeed right on the corner so it only took them a minute or two to walk there from the front doors of the apartment building. The shop was empty, save for the store owner who was sitting behind the counter, reading a newspaper. He lifted a hand to wave at Oliver but never once looked up from his paper. Oliver grinned at her as he lead her over to the cooler to pick out a flavor of ice cream. It was very toasty in the shop, a heater blasting somewhere and Felicity peeled off the sweatshirt, holding it in her hand until they got back outside. 

“Chocolate!” she cried, pointing. 

“Interesting argument. But I submit: mint chocolate chip.” 

“Hmm.” Felicity considered the choice. “It’s not the neon green kind of mint, is it?” 

Oliver shook his head. “Nope. Natural flavor, no artificial color. Look, its even vanilla bean ice cream. And look at those chips. Those aren’t chips. Those are _chunks_. Dark chocolate chunks.”

Felicity peered at the container. “Dark chocolate?” she said, feeling her mouth begin to salivate. 

“Oh yes.”

“Sold! Buy the ice cream, Mr. Queen.”

While Oliver checked out, Felicity looked at the magazine display next to the counter. It was a great opportunity to catch up on the most sensational tabloid headlines. She held up her favorites for Oliver to see. He chuckled and shook his head as he passed his card across to the owner. 

Moments later, Oliver had their purchase in a paper bag and they were heading back to the penthouse. Felicity got maybe ten steps outside the bodega before a cold breeze made her shiver. 

“Oh! I left the sweatshirt back there!” she cried. 

“Do you remember where in there?” Oliver asked. 

“At the magazine display, next to the counter. I must have set it down.”

“Hold tight, I’ll be right back.” 

Felicity waited on the sidewalk while Oliver hurried back inside the bodega. The building was so close that she started talking very slowly in that direction. 

She’d just passed the mouth of an alley between buildings when someone stepped out of the shadows, grabbing her arm. “Give me your wallet!” a gruff male voice demanded

Felicity was too startled to scream. She couldn’t see who had her, they grabbed her from behind, but they reeked of alcohol and a whole assortment of other disgusting smells. 

“I-I don’t have my wallet—“ she stuttered. 

The man shoved her, causing her to slam into the brick wall next to them. But then she heard a commotion behind her. She whirled around to fend the man off but saw something else instead. 

Oliver stood there, feet apart, fist cocked back and a fierce expression on his handsome face. The paper bag with the ice cream in it was dropped at his feet, along with the sweatshirt. Her would-be-mugger was laying on the sidewalk, groaning and clutching his nose which was spurting blood profusely. 

“Oliver!” she gasped. 

“You okay, Felicity? Did he hurt you?” Oliver asked. He didn’t take his eyes off the writhing man. 

“I’m fine,” she said, feeling suddenly shaky. 

Oliver looked over his shoulder to the bodega. The owner was standing in the doorway, looking concerned. “Jay, can you call the cops for me?” 

“Sure thing, Mr. Queen.” The bodega owner disappeared back inside. 

Oliver crouched over the mugger and muttered, “Don’t you fucking _think_ of moving, asshole.” Then he stepped over the man who looked like he wouldn’t be going anywhere anytime soon to get to her side. He rubbed her arms which suddenly felt like icicles. “You sure you’re okay?”

“I-I don’t know. I just… I was just walking and…he grabbed me and he—“ Felicity didn’t know what to say. She’d lived in Starling for three years, lived in the _Glades_ for three years and somehow something like this had never happened to her before. Nothing like it had ever happened in Boston either. The closest she’d come was witnessing someone hold up the diner next door to the coffee shop she’d been studying at one late night during finals. 

“Here,” Oliver said gently, directing her around the man on the sidewalk. He handed her the sweatshirt, helping her pull it on over her head. Then he lead her to a raised curb to sit on. “We have to wait for the police, give a statement. You think you can do that? I can walk you back to the apartment building if you can’t.” 

Felicity nodded. “Yeah. I can do that.” She couldn’t stop staring at the man with the bleeding nose. Oliver circled him while they waited, occasionally sending a concerned glance her way. 

A squad car showed up just a few minutes later. Oliver spoke to the officers and the bodega owner, Jay, came out to also give a statement. Oliver stood next to her, holding her hand, as she gave her own statement. Then, he led her away as the cops read the man his rights and handcuffed him, guiding him into the back of the car to take him down to the station for booking. 

The whole thing took maybe ten minutes but Felicity felt chilled to the bone by the time they stepped back into the apartment building lobby. Oliver ushered her into the elevator and pulled her into his arms, hugging her tight. 

“Is the ice cream okay?” she asked, her voice muffled by his chest. 

Oliver chuckled. “The ice cream is fine. Maybe a little meltier than it would have been otherwise but definitely still edible.”

“Good. I think I’ll need it.”

He hugged her tighter. “I was so scared when I came out of the store and saw that asshole grabbing you,” Oliver growled. 

“It happened so quick, I didn’t know what to do,” she admitted. 

“I know, honey. Maybe we should get you some pepper spray. Or some self defense classes,” he suggested. He didn’t loosen his arms from around her until the elevator doors opened and then he lead her out and into the penthouse. 

Oliver headed into the kitchen to dish up their ice cream and Felicity followed him, feeling a surge of… something. Being held in his arms was the only thing that had felt good after that man had grabbed her and she suddenly craved Oliver surrounding her, keeping her safe. 

“Oliver,” she breathed, pressing herself against him as he went to get bowls out of an overhead cabinet. “I need you.”

He turned to her, his eyes already dark. He yanked her back into his arms, this time kissing her deeply. Felicity clung to him, feeling her heart pounding, feeling as though she might fly apart if she didn’t connect with him as soon as possible. 

Oliver seemed to anticipate this because he wasted no time. He yanked down her lounge pants and underwear while she kicked off her sneakers. Then he lifted her and set her on the kitchen island. He tossed her garments aside and then pushed down his own sweatpants, gripping his hardening length and pumping it in his fist a few times. He stepped between her knees and pulling her to the edge of the counter. It was the perfect height, so all he had to do was bend his knees slightly in order to line up with her entrance. 

Felicity was already wet with anticipation and need and the strength of his kisses, so Oliver slid right in, filling her perfectly just like he always did. She wrapped her legs around his hips, digging her feet into the backs of his thighs and pulling him closer to her. She was desperate to feel him, all of him, around and inside of her. 

Oliver tried to keep his movements slow and tender, gentle. But Felicity couldn’t bear that right then. She needed hard and fast and cried out, digging her nails into his shoulders. “More! Harder!”

“Felicity…” he grunted. 

“Please… god… Oliver… I _need_ it,” she panted, tugging on his hair as much as she could given how short he kept it. 

“Fuck… honey, I—“

“Please!”

Oliver growled loudly and let loose his control, He gripped her hips tightly and slammed into her. It was hard and fast, just like she wanted. Felicity held on for dear life, biting his shoulder when he shifted his hips and changed the angle, hitting a spot deep inside her that had her seeing stars. 

She screamed out her release moments later and Oliver let go just an instant later, muffling his own cry in the flesh of her shoulder. He remained there, panting while Felicity continued to hold him close, feeling his cock pulse inside her walls as he emptied himself. 

_God, that felt good_. 

“Thank you,” she whispered, continuing to hold him close. 

“You don’t have to thank me,” he whispered back. When he lifted his head, his eyes twinkled. “What happened to me calling the shots here?”

That made her smile, albeit a little sheepishly. “Oops?”

They cleaned up quickly, including the poor counter (Oliver said he’d never fix food there without thinking of her again) and dished up their ice cream. They sat back on the sofa to eat it, finally discussing what had happened when they set their bowls aside. 

“I was so scared,” Felicity admitted. “It happened so fast but for a second, I didn’t know what he’d do.”

“You have no idea how glad I am he didn’t have a gun or a knife,” Oliver said. “Or at least if he did he didn’t have them out, threatening you with them. My life flashed before my eyes as it was. If he’d had a gun on you…?” Oliver broke off, shaking his head and looking suddenly pale. 

Felicity realized that he was just as shaken by the incident as she was. And while she’d been yearning for a hard and fast physical connection, she had a feeling what he needed was slow and tender. 

She reached over and cupped his cheek, feeling his stubble scratch her palm. “You asked me to tell you as soon as I thought I might have fallen for you…”

Oliver nodded but she didn’t think he was breathing. His eyes were intent on her. “It’s happened. I didn’t want it to happen and I tried so hard not to fall for you but, Oliver… I am. I’m falling for you.”

Everything went still and Felicity tried not to panic. She’d just put herself out there in a way that she absolutely never did… It was so hard to let herself be vulnerable but after everything that had happened tonight, she couldn’t deny that Oliver made her feel safe. She trusted him to take care of her. And she just couldn’t deny her feelings for him any longer. 

“Felicity,” he breathed. “You—you might love me?” 

She had a wild urge to take it back, to laugh and tell him she was just playing. Anxiety raced through her but she forced herself to stay still, letting him take her hand in his. “Oliver, I’m so scared. This isn’t what I had planned… My whole life—“

Tears threatened and she had to take a few breaths and blink them back. Oliver squeezed her hands. “It’s okay. I’m here with you,” he told her. 

“What do I do?” she asked. “I don’t know what to do…”

“Well, for starters… You’re going to need to tell Cooper its over.” 

***

Felicity paced the length of Oliver’s penthouse. The sky was starting to lighten in the east, casting a pink glow over the city. Any other day she probably would have been captivated by the view and stopped to watch the city slowly flood with light. Right now, however, her mind was otherwise occupied. 

Oliver didn’t know she’d already planned to break up with Cooper. That wasn’t so much a big deal as it could have been, truth be told. But the implication he was making was that she break up with Cooper to then be with him… with _Oliver_. And Felicity felt a little hysterical contemplating it. 

“Oliver, you don’t know what you’re asking me,” she said for maybe the tenth time. 

“I know exactly what I’m asking you,” he told her. “You don’t love Cooper. You’ve got yourself convinced that you do but you’ve grown past him and you need different things now. Things that I can give you.”

“This isn’t about money,” she argued. 

“I never said it was! Felicity, honey… You feel it when you’re with me. You told me that you’re falling in love with me. I complete your heart in a way that Cooper has never been able to and never _will_ be able to.”

She stopped pacing, stopping several feet from him. “I don’t doubt that I need to break up with Cooper. I probably should have broken up with him after the last night I spent with you. Or before it. I don’t know, it’s all jumbled together in my head… The point is that I just don’t know if I can go from a relationship with him right in to a relationship with you.” 

“I can give you some time,” Oliver offered. “Take all the time you need.”

Felicity went back to pacing. He was making this sound too easy. She knew it wasn’t as simple as this. But she was missing something. There was a huge piece of the puzzle missing and for the life of her, she couldn’t figure out what it was. 

“What’s bothering you so much?” Oliver asked.

“You’re asking me to throw my entire life up in the air, Oliver. I’ve never voluntarily done this before. I just… there’s something not right here. I can’t put my finger on what it is though.”

“There is something I need to tell you,” Oliver said. “But it’s really minor and it can wait. Will you see me tonight? After you break up with Cooper?” 

Felicity stopped in front of Oliver. “See you? Like—“

“A date. Dinner.”

“A date-date?”

He smiled. “Yes, a date-date. A real date. You don’t even have to come back here afterwards. I can take you to a hotel, get you a room to stay in until you find a place of your own.”

Her mind went back to whirling. She paced a little more, putting her hand to her temples, trying to focus. “Wait, you have something you need to tell me?”

Oliver nodded, folding his lips inward. 

“But you don’t want to tell me until after I’ve left Cooper officially?”

He shrugged but Felicity knew him well enough by now that she could see he was trying to be nonchalant. 

“Oliver, you want me to throw my entire life into disarray. If you have something you need to tell me, I want to hear it now. I deserve to hear it now.”

“Felicity… please, just… trust me?”

She wanted to. So badly. But there was a voice inside her telling her that this was the puzzle piece she was missing. And god _dammit_ , she hated mysteries. 

Felicity closed the gap between them, wanting to reach out to touch him or embrace him but she wasn’t sure she should. She looked up into his beautiful face. “Oliver, I really need to know.”

He sighed, running a hand through his hair. He radiated frustration. “I can’t seem to deny anything you want,” he muttered. “Fine. It’s about Cooper and QC.”

She blinked, taken aback. “What about him?” Then, she remembered Cooper’s arrest. That felt like it’d been ages ago. “Wait… is this about the hack on QC servers a couple weeks ago?”

Oliver nodded. “And the one that took place yesterday evening. And all the pings from the last week.”

Felicity stepped back. “And you think Cooper had something to do with those? Oliver, I thought the agreement was the charges from his arrest were dropped the first night I spent with you.”

“Yes, and they were. But then this last week happened.”

Felicity thought back to this week, when she’d been called onto the project in charge of shoring up QC’s network security, how there’d been strange anomalies that no one else in her group but her had noticed. She’d thought those were average inquiries but could they have been something more? A hacker testing the fence, so to speak? And then there was the call Oliver had received just hours ago… 

“Wait. I need you to tell me everything you know. Now.” Felicity said. 

“Okay. Let’s sit down.” 

He led her to the huge wooden dining table that was set in front of the windows overlooking the city. She sat and he took the seat around the corner of the table from her. “When QC was hacked a couple weeks ago, they were able to get in but we were also able to trace the hacker. This is how we knew where the hack came from and who did it. The hack traced back to your apartment. A warrant was put out to search the apartment and there the police found Cooper and the laptop he used to orchestrate the hack. He was arrested.”

“If you had such concrete proof, why did you even make the deal? Why did you agree to drop the charges?” Felicity demanded. A small voice asked her if she was actually expected to believe him, to trust what he was telling her. 

Oliver held up his hand. “Let me finish. At first, it wasn’t clear if you were assisting him or not. After all, you have to admit it looks suspicious that the boyfriend of a woman who works in QC’s IT department is the one who hacks QC’s network servers. But I didn’t think you had. I asked you be put on the assignment this week, to reconfigure QC’s network security. What I told the other VPs is that if you were in collusion, you would either create a vulnerability or direct Cooper to an existing one. Instead, you plugged all the holes. Rather thoroughly, in fact. Yesterday, when Cooper attempted to hack our servers again, your fixes are what kept him out. But he still left the footprint behind, digitally speaking, and QC’s security team was able to trace the source directly to the apartment again.”

Felicity couldn’t believe it. “He said he was innocent,” she murmured. 

“I know,” Oliver reached across the table to cover her hand with his. She yanked it back. She felt like a world class fool. A blind idiot. She wasn’t sure who or what she most angry at in that moment but she could feel the rage building inside of her, sure and true. 

“What was he allegedly trying to do by hacking the servers? Just to see that he could?” she wanted to know. It wasn’t adding up. This wasn’t the man she’d fallen in love with back at MIT. He wouldn’t just _do this_ , would he?

“No, he was hitting the financial servers. Trying to siphon off funds, directing them to his own account rather than QC’s account at Starling National Bank.”

“But… we have a joint account,” she said. “I didn’t notice any strange deposits.”

“It was a separate account. Set up under a different name, in fact. Some newly registered LLC named ‘Brother Eye’. The detectives were able to trace that back to him as well. They froze the account and the funds were returned to us. Last night he tried the same gambit again, but wasn’t successful.”

Money? He wanted _money_? Felicity wanted to scream. After all this, after _everything_ , that shit-head just wanted even _more_ money? Her throat went dry when she realized she’d given him access to the safety deposit box.

“Does he know you traced him last night?” she asked. 

Oliver shook his head. “I don’t believe so. We haven’t reported to the authorities yet but that’s happening this morning… maybe even as we speak.”He paused and checked his watch. “Cooper used a more sophisticated code yesterday, which surprised my employees who caught it. The first hack had been a lot more graceless but this code, it would have worked if you hadn’t closed every loophole in the system. So really, I should be thanking you for that.”

“Holy _frack_ ,” Felicity groaned. She knew exactly what code it was that Cooper had used. The algorithm on her usb key that he’d specifically requested from her. He tried to use her creation, something she was hoping to use to start _their_ business with, to illegally hack a giant corporation like QC. “I know where he got it. He got it from me.”

“Don’t worry, Felicity, I’m sure you won’t be implicated. And if Cooper tries to name you, I think it’ll be easy enough to prove you weren’t complicit.”

She stood up then, her restless legs not allowing her to sit still a moment longer. 

“I want to ask you again… why did you make the offer to Cooper and I? Why did you offer to drop the charges for a night with me? You knew he was guilty, he had stolen from you… why drop the charges? Why any of this??” Nausea churned her stomach. She was scared of what the answer might be. 

Oliver licked his lips and looked down at where his hands were folded together on the table. “I wanted to punish him. Humiliate him. And you, until I knew you weren’t involved.”

Felicity covered her mouth, afraid for a wild moment that she really would throw up. She turned away as the tears stung at her eyes. Oh _god_. She had to get out of here. 

She headed for the bedroom, to get her overnight bag and pack her things into it so she could leave. “Felicity?” Oliver called after her. She ignored him. 

Her dress, underwear, bra and sandals all went into the bag. She gathered up all her personal items, not even bothering to be neat or fold anything and tossed them in haphazardly. 

“Where are you going?” Oliver stood in the doorway, watching her. 

“Home. I’m leaving. I have to get out of here,” she mumbled, pushing past him to get her sneakers from the kitchen. Her purse was somewhere out there too…

“We’re not done talking,” he argued. “Let’s talk about this.”

“I don’t want to hear any more,” she said, numbly shoving her feet into her shoes. “I feel betrayed. Manipulated and cheap. And I don’t know who has used me the most right now, but I do know if I don’t get out of here right this minute, I’m going to be sick.”

She glanced his way to see Oliver’s face was pale. But he nodded. “Okay, if that’s what you need. Here, let me get your money.” He moved towards the bedroom and Felicity just _lost it_. 

“I don’t want your fucking money!” she screamed. 

Oliver froze, looking shocked. Bile rose in her throat. She grabbed her bag and her purse and ran for the door. She flung it open and headed for the elevator, not looking back. 

Oliver didn’t come after her. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please don't hate me! LOL I hope everything is clear here... what happened with Cooper and what Oliver knew when and how FELICITY feels about this... she doesn't feel great, friends. Nope, she's pretty devastated. :(


	12. Chapter 12

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Felicity deals with the fallout of what she's learned from Oliver... and life goes on, as it always does.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey friends! THANK YOU for the amazing response on the last chapter. I really got you with that angst, didn't I? I'm sorry (not really but you know) for that, but it had to happen. This is the cadence of the story and was always the plan but I promise, there's a plan here, always has been, and you'll see it play out. :) 
> 
> Big thanks to my twitter ladies and to @lexiblackbriar for the posters.

By the time Felicity reached the lobby, she had her gag reflex under control but her anger was steadily rising. And her hurt. Oliver had let her believe he wanted to be with her because of _her_. But really, it was all about some tacky revenge plot. _God_. She should have slapped him while she was up there. 

And to think she’d just told him she was falling in love with him. 

Then there was Cooper. She’d been with Cooper for _seven years_. They’d essentially grown up together, turning from children to adults with each other. They’d shared their dreams and their home and… _everything_. She thought she was going to marry him someday, have children with him. They were going into business together. And he’d done this? He’d tried to steal from the company she worked for, knowing how that would look if he was caught? And then he’d taken her code to try to do it _again_? 

The nausea came back as she pushed out the doors of the apartment building. No wonder Cooper had been interested in taking the offer from Oliver. Not only did he want the money, the selfish bastard, but he wanted to keep himself out of prison. Disgust was such a small word for what she felt. 

She was halfway down the sidewalk before she heard her name being called. For a second, she thought it might be Oliver, but then she stopped and realized the voice was deeper. She turned to see Diggle standing next to the limo. 

Felicity blinked at the sight. Then she realized that the sun was coming up and it was already after seven o’clock in the morning. Diggle was probably here on the job, ready to take her back home. She approached him cautiously. After all, the man was an agent of Oliver Queen. 

“Need a ride?” he asked, still looking casual as ever. 

“Just a ride? You’re not going to preach at me or anything?” she asked nervously. 

“About what?” Diggle looked so innocent that for a moment, Felicity bought it. But then she realized she knew better. 

“C’mon, Diggle. Don’t tell me Oliver didn’t call you just now to warn you to look out for me coming out of the building,” she said. 

Oliver’s driver smirked. “He told me you were smart.”

Felicity snorted. “Listen, if you’re gonna try to plead your boss’ case or anything, save it. I’ll walk home before I listen to that.”Though, realistically, she’d probably call an Uber. 

“I’m under strict orders to escort you, Felicity. You don’t want me to get in trouble, do you? Mr. Queen understands he can’t see you home himself but he told me he needs to know you made it there safely.”

She recalled the mugger who’d grabbed her just hours ago. Felicity looked towards the bodega and the dark alley he’d come out of and felt a shiver chase down her spine. Could she blame Oliver for his concern? She knew the incident had shaken him too. Sighing, she headed towards the limousine. 

“Alright, he wins this one. Take me home, Diggle.” 

He smiled. “With pleasure, Felicity.” 

He helped her into the backseat and snapped the door closed. Felicity felt a little nervousness as the car pulled away from the curb. What would she find at home? Would Cooper even be there? Then again, he didn’t know now that she knew what he’d done. 

Still, there was a chance he could have cleaned her out and left already. 

And maybe that’d be the better option. Confrontation wasn’t one of Felicity’s favorite things. In her first semester at MIT, she’d had a roommate who would blast her music while she was trying to get to sleep and Felicity never did work up the nerve to ask her to keep it down after 10 at night. She didn’t want the hassle, is what she told herself. In reality, she hadn’t wanted the confrontation. 

Now, she had a hell of a confrontation coming her way. And it was with a man she loved… or thought sheloved. Or had loved and didn’t anymore? As the sun peeked over the buildings to the east, Felicity tried to recall the last time she’d really felt _love_ for Cooper. By the time the limo pulled up in front of her building in the Glades, she knew it’d been before they moved to Starling. 

Her nausea was back. 

The back door opened and Diggle held his hand out to help her out. Felicity grabbed her overnight bag and her purse and scooted out, taking his hand and letting him pull her up and out. “Do you want me to go up with you, Felicity?” he asked. 

It was tempting. Diggle was a pretty physically imposing guy, which was probably why he was Oliver’s driver. Just in case Cooper got any ideas, he’d keep her safe. 

But then Felicity remembered that Cooper was, technically, still her boyfriend. And she shouldn’t be scared of him. She wasn’t before the last twelve hours. Just because the bastard had lied and cheated and been all around shitty, didn’t mean he was going to hurt her. 

“I’ll be fine, Diggle,” she assured him. And then she raised up on her tip toes to press a kiss to his cheek. He bent helpfully, otherwise she never would have reached. “You’re sweet though.”

“Anytime, Felicity,” he replied quietly. “Give Mr. Queen a chance? Just hear him out?”

Felicity gave him a look. “I’ll let it go because I like you, Diggle. But I don’t think Oliver deserves a chance right now. You can tell him that.”

“I had to try,” he replied with a shrug. “Good luck in there.”

“Thanks. I might need it.” 

Felicity took her time making her way up to the apartment, dreading what was going to come next. She reminded herself, as a way of steeling herself, of all the horrible things Oliver had said Cooper did. 

Interesting that Oliver hadn’t shown her proof but she had no trouble believing him. She’d believed Cooper too but… what Oliver told her made sense. And he wouldn’t lie to her. Would he? 

Could she trust _anyone_?

Troubled, Felicity let herself into the apartment.Cooper is awake and sitting on the sofa, playing a video game. She was surprised until she remembered they had plans for when she got home today since she’d taken the day off of work. 

“Hey you. How was it?” Cooper asked, barely looking up from his game. 

“Coop, we need to talk. Can you turn off the game?” 

She set her purse and bag down but remained standing. Sighing, Cooper saved his game and exited out. “What’s on your mind?” he asked, directing his attention fully to her now. 

“Cooper, we need to break up,” she told him. Better to just get it out, right? 

He stood up, his brows drawing together giving him a dark look. “What the hell? Is this cuz of Queen?” he demanded. 

Felicity shook her head. “No. I-I actually have been thinking about this for a while but I didn’t say anything before… Coop, we’re not in love with each other. If you were in love with me, you’d never have agreed to me spending the night with another man.”

“Of course I love you, Felicity. Where’d you get this idea? Did he give it to you?”

“Coop, you’re not hearing me—“ Her frustration grew. Why wouldn’t he listen to her? And when had he stopped?

“Did he tell you I was sleeping with Carrie? I bet he did. Creep like him probably has all kinds of watchdogs doing his dirty work, following people around. Listen, Felicity, that meant nothing and I figured since you were screwing Queen, then I could also screw someone else. Fair’s fair.”

Felicity slapped him. At least she got to slap _someone_ today and, holy frack, Cooper had it coming. The crack echoed in the living room and Cooper stood there, shocked. His hand went up to his cheek where her handprint was already visible. 

“Fuck, Felicity! What the hell did you do that for??” 

She clenched her fist to keep from slapping him again. How could she have not seen this coming. Oliver even hinted at it when she spoke to him a few days ago. Was she really that blind? It was infuriating to be reminded over and over again just how naive and obtuse she’d been. Maybe it was hypocritical to be upset, and she knew she didn’t _really_ care that he’d slept with Carrie… no, what she was mad at was how crassly Cooper was using the arrangement with Oliver that _he_ was benefiting from to excuse it.

“You know what, Coop? No, I didn’t know that. But thanks for letting me know,” she said, her voice hard. “What I do know is how you hacked QC. And you tried to do it again. Last night.”

His eyes widened and his mouth popped open. He clearly planned to give her some explanation. _More lies_. Felicity didn’t have time or patience for that. 

“Don’t even try to lie to me this time, Coop. I’m done. I’m going to go pack my things,” she said, walking to the bedroom. 

“Felicity, don’t go. Let me explain—“ Cooper tried to follow her but she turned at the door and held up her hand. 

“No. Don’t follow me in here. I have nothing to say to you.” She went in the room and closed the door, leaning against it for a moment.

The bed beckoned temptingly. Felicity hadn’t had much sleep the previous night and between the lack of sleep and all the drama, she was feeling more than a little exhausted. But it was the bed she’d shared with Cooper. And she’d rather just get her things and go, start fresh somewhere else. Maybe she’d stop by the safe deposit box (and switch boxes while she was there), get some cash and go stay in a hotel till she could find a new place of her own. Then again, she wasn’t entirely sure how good she felt about using Oliver’s money now that she knew everything. 

Felicity found her old battered suitcase from MIT and pulled it out. She was folding in her paltry collection of work dresses when there was a knock at the apartment door. She went to the door of the bedroom and opened it right when Cooper was answering the door. A man in a suit and a couple of uniformed police officers stood in the hallway. 

“Cooper Seldon? My name is Detective Manuel and I have a warrant for your arrest,” the man in the suit said. 

Felicity gasped but she didn’t know why she hadn’t been expecting this. Cooper looked positively outraged. 

“What are the charges? You can’t just come in here and arrest me!”

Detective Manuel held up some folded papers. “This warrant says otherwise. You’re being arrested for engaging in an illegal server attack against Queen Consolidated yesterday evening.”

Felicity stood in the doorway, watching as Cooper yelled and argued but otherwise didn’t fight the offers who were reading him his rights and putting the cuffs on him. Her ex-boyfriend noticed her and stopped yelling. 

“Felicity, don’t let this happen. Tell them it’s all a big mistake,” he pleaded. 

Detective Manuel regarded her. “Felicity Smoak? You’re Cooper’s live-in girlfriend?”

She nodded. “Ex-girlfriend, actually. We just broke up.”

“Felicity! Don’t tell them anything!” Cooper screamed. 

“Interesting,” the detective said. “Are you the same Felicity Smoak who works in IT at QC and was on a team tasked with revamping the network security this last week?” He was paging through his notepad and scrutinizing her carefully.

“Yes, that’s me,” she confirmed, trying not to feel nervous under the detective’s watchful eyes. 

Cooper looked devastated and betrayed. It nearly surprised her how little sympathy she felt for him in that moment. She felt devastated and betrayed too. From where she was standing, a lot of the blame for that fell squarely on his shoulders. 

“Felicity, please… meet me down at the station. Bail me out,” Cooper begged. 

“Sorry, Coop. No can do. You’re gonna have to face the music this time,” she said, her arms folded across her chest. 

“You bitch!” he spat as the officers led him out of the apartment. 

“I might need to ask you some questions, Ms. Smoak. You’ll be available?” the detective asked her. 

She nodded. Since Coop had used her code this last time, she knew some of this was going to inevitably blow back on her. “Yeah, I’ll be here.”

Guess she didn’t need to go find a hotel after all. When she was alone once more, Felicity returned to the bedroom to unpack her things. 

***

The next several days were busy for Felicity. She moved what was left the initial money from Oliver to another safety deposit box. Her ethical dilemma about using the cash was very little in the face of her current need for it and also a sense of wanting to get _something_ out of this whole crappy situation. Then, she contacted everyone Cooper had met with the previous week and determined if she wanted to cancel whatever agreements had been made or not. The rental space, it turned out, was overcharging so Felicity cancelled that, with some regret. She finally saw Cooper’s point about being closer to downtown. But she was also sure she could find a space to rent that was more worth the cost. 

Work at QC was almost surprisingly normal. There wasn’t even any talk about the hack that took place Sunday night. Oliver must have made sure it was kept under wraps and she was grateful for that if it was the case. It wouldn’t stay a secret forever, of course, but for now it was a huge relief. 

She changed the name from Smoak-Seldon Technologies to Smoak Enterprises. Just that one change was enough to settle something inside her that she hadn’t even known was upset. It was happening. Her business was really starting to take shape. 

Felicity called Cooper’s friends and let them know there would be no positions for them at the new company as had been promised. She even called Carrie and managed to keep the conversation civil and focused on business. She poured herself a glass of wine after that, feeling she deserved it. 

She was more determined than ever to go ahead with her company. Except this time, she was doing it on her own. Well. Mostly on her own. At the end of the week Felicity asked Curtis to join her for lunch. 

“This place is pretty nice, Felicity,” Curtis said, looking around at the trendy bistro. “Sure beats the deli or Big Belly Burger.”

“Nothing beats Big Belly Burger,” Felicity argued. “But I wanted to go someplace nice since this is, technically, a business lunch. I want to impress a new potential business partner.”

“Oh? You’re meeting someone here?” Curtis looked around the busy dining room. “Is it anyone I know? Is it Bruce Wayne? Please tell me it’s Bruce Wayne.”

“It’s you, Curtis.”

Her friend blinked at her, his eyes owlish behind his rimmed glasses. “Excuse me, what?”

Felicity grinned. “I want you to come work with me. You’re more talented with research and development than Cooper is anyhow and I could really use your genius.”

“You’re kidding me, right?” Curtis said, a smile dawning across his face. “You want me to join Smoak Enterprises?” 

“I realize I’m asking you to leave behind Queen Consolidated and a certain amount of job security and they definitely have better benefits for you right now. And salary. But you’ll have a stake in the company and I’m _sure_ we’ll grow and quickly so that salary will probably far exceed what you could make at QC in the IT department and—“

“Felicity! Calm down, girl. Yes! I want to be a part of this! I’ve listened to you talk about this forever, it seems like. And I have so many ideas. Ideas that are just wasted with me sitting in that dungeon of an IT department.”

“Seriously?” Felicity smiled hugely at her friend. “Oh, Curtis, that’s fantastic!”

And so she now had a new business partner, a _better_ business partner. Felicity still had majority stake, since the business was her conception, but sharing some of the inevitable profits with Curtis didn’t bother her one bit and she was really excited to start putting his ideas into action. And his inventions. They’d need to find a rental space that had a good lab area. Expanding beyond just consultations and software to being able to provide hardware and physical innovations? Was huge. 

But things weren’t all sunshine and rainbows. That same Friday afternoon, Felicity got a call from the detective who’d been there when Cooper was arrested. He let her know that the state’s prosecutor was going to be contacting her to discuss some things about Cooper’s case and her own involvement. Which wasn’t the greatest way to kick off her weekend, particularly a weekend she was going to be spending alone. 

The prosecutor contacted her that night, actually, just as she was sitting down with a box of Chinese takeout. She wanted to know if Felicity could meet with her on Saturday afternoon and if not, would Monday be better. As much as she was tempted to put it off, Felicity decided to just bite the bullet and get it over with. After all, she knew she was innocent. Remembering that was what she’d told Cooper initially, when Oliver had offered the deal to drop the charges against him, Felicity had to snort at the symmetry. 

She arranged to meet with the prosecutor, ADA Rachel Dawes, the next day at a coffee shop downtown. The same one, in fact, that she liked so well and that she’d run into Oliver at that one day. As it was a Saturday, though, Felicity thought she was probably rather safe from that happening again. 

The shop was only moderately busy and Felicity was able to find a table in the rear that would afford them some privacy. Ms. Dawes arrived right on time and came right over to the table, hand extended and friendly smile in place. 

“Ms. Smoak, it’s lovely to meet you. Thank you so much for meeting with me,” she said. 

Felicity stood and shook her hand. “Nice to meet you too, Ms. Dawes.”

“Please, call me Rachel.”

“Then I’ll have to insist you call me Felicity.”

Rachel offered to get Felicity a drink from the barista and she took her up on the offer. When she returned to the table, they got right to business. Felicity decided she rather liked that about the ADA. Rachel Dawes was a no-nonsense woman with a practical head on her shoulders. 

“I have some questions about your code, the code that Mr. Seldon used to attempt to hack into QC’s servers on the night of the 4 th .”

“Ask away,” Felicity said, sipping at her latte. 

The questions were simple and straightforward and Felicity had no trouble answering them. She assured Rachel that the code was indeed hers, she’d developed it back at MIT and had tinkered with it a bit in the years since. She explained that she’d given Cooper a copy with the understanding that he was going to tinker with it because he had some ideas of how to implement it into their company. 

That lead to Felicity explaining the company to Rachel, how she’d had the plan since she was young but once she met Cooper, he became part of the plan as well. 

“The code was supposed to be at the center of the business, the thing which we built the entire company around,” Felicity said. “I had no trouble letting him have a copy of it because I was just so excited to see him take an interest in that side of the company. Instead of spending money on business cards and signage, that is.”

“I have to say, Felicity, that I understand quite a bit more now, talking to you. I don’t see any reason why you should be held at any fault for this, from what you’ve told me, Mr. Seldon was the one solely responsible for any wrongdoing.”

Felicity’s eyebrows went up. “Is that a possibility? That I won’t be charged?”

Rachel leaned across the table and spoke in conspiratorial tones. “The word around the courthouse is that Mr. Seldon’s defense is looking to pin some of the blame on you as well, to say that you were complicit in the hacks. I thought, by contacting you and hopefully convincing you to testify for the prosecution, we could get out ahead of that.”

“Oh…” It shouldn’t have surprised her that Cooper was perfectly willing to throw her under the bus but it did. Was there no low that he would fail to stoop to? 

“Felicity, speaking to you here today, I think you could be a great asset to the prosecution. You know Mr. Seldon better than anyone and if you’re willing, I think you could be instrumental in bringing him to justice.”

“I’ll do it,” Felicity said. “I’ll happily get up on the stand to testify that I never gave Cooper permission to that code to hack anything, much less QC.”

Rachel smiled broadly. “That’s wonderful, Felicity. Thank you so much.”

They both stood, ready to part ways and Rachel shook her hand again. “I’ll be in touch soon. I’d like to go over some more details pertinent to the case, see if you have any more information that might be helpful for us.”

“Please do. Call me anytime, I’m very willing to help,” Felicity replied. 

Rachel’s grin was wry. “Whatever Mr. Seldon did to make you mad, I think he’s going to regret it.” 

“I’m counting on it.” After all, Cooper’s betrayal still stung and Felicity was done being his doormat. He deserved everything he got and with her help, he might just get a little more. 

Cooper’s case was fast-tracked so the trial date came just weeks later. Felicity had been in contact with Ms. Dawes several times, answering questions and offering information she thought might be helpful. Still, as the trial date neared, it became clear that Cooper’s public defender wasn’t going to give up on implicating Felicity. If not to drag her down into the legal hole that Cooper himself was in, then to ruin her professional reputation out of sheer vindictiveness. Given she was hoping to launch a new business, that particular scenario was intolerable. 

Felicity was starting to worry, even though Rachel kept telling her not to. She didn’t want to be cornered on the witness stand about this, to have her name dragged through the mud. The trial started and while things seemed to be going in the prosecutions favor, dramatically so, Felicity still worried. 

The day before she was scheduled to take the stand, however, Rachel called her at work. “Great news!” she exclaimed. “The lawyers for QC submitted some evidence today and it completely dismantles what Cooper’s lawyer is trying to do with you.”

Felicity was at work and as soon as Rachel had called, she’d rushed away from her cubicle and into the blessedly empty break room. She sat heavily in one of the chairs there. “Oh? What is it?”

“Depositions from employees and supervisors testifying that you were instrumental in upgrading QC’s network security the week before the second hack took place. An expert has offered to testify that everything you did would be counter-intuitive to sabotaging the security since it was your efforts that ultimately kept the second hack from being successful… Felicity, this is some amazing stuff. There’s no way the defense can establish you had anything to do with this.”

“Are you sure?” she asked. Felicity didn’t want to worry overmuch about this but given all the time she’d spent lately worrying about this trial, it seemed unreal that all her worries were now gone. 

“Positive. There’s even a few people who have offered to be character witnesses on the stand. One is your co-worker, Curtis Holt.” 

Felicity smiled. God bless, Curtis. She hadn’t really told him much about the case against Cooper but he did know that the trial was going on. He must have seen how much it was worrying her. But… how did he know to contact the ADA? 

“The other one is even _better_. Felicity, it’s the CEO.”

Her heart leapt into her throat. “What?”

“Queen Consolidated’s CEO has offered to be a character witness on your behalf should we need the testimony. That’s huge, Felicity. No jury in the world would question that kind of endorsement.”

Felicity didn’t even remember hanging up with Rachel but she sat in the break room for a long time, trying to wrap her mind around what the ADA had told her. Rachel had said that QC’s lawyers had submitted all this evidence and testimony on her behalf. She wasn’t completely certain but it seemed like this is something Oliver would requested from them. On her behalf. Plus he was offering to testify to her character? Felicity was floored. 

Oliver hadn’t called her since she’d walked out of his penthouse that morning. No text messages either. Felicity had convinced herself that it was over, that Oliver was probably even glad to not have to deal with her after that awful scene. But if that was the case, why was he helping her now? He’d told her that he’d wanted to punish both her and Cooper. If that was the case, why was he trying to help clear her name? Those thoughts plagued her as the trial date neared. 

Felicity’s testimony went perfectly. With the new evidence, the defense finally gave in and when it came time to cross examine her, the public defender only brought up her recent breakup with Cooper, hoping to insinuate that she was seeking revenge because of that. 

Cooper sat behind the defense’s desk, looking fairly sharp in his suit but otherwise withdrawn and sullen. He hadn’t met her eye once since she’d walked into the courtroom. She wondered what he’d told his attorney about their breakup. 

“I broke up with Cooper for many reasons,” Felicity said when asked about the circumstances and timing of the breakup. “Looking back now, I think it was a long time coming. We’d been growing apart for years and I hadn’t wanted to admit it. We had separate interests.”

There was a small commotion at the back of the courtroom as the door opened and a figure joined the people who were observing the trial. Felicity stilled when she saw that it was Oliver. He met her eyes, nodding infinitesimally. Felicity fought the blush that she just knew was creeping up her neck and she looked away as he took a seat in the gallery. 

“Did those separate interests include other lovers?” Cooper’s attorney pressed. 

Felicity’s attention was jerked back to the trial. “W-what?” There’s no way Cooper had told this guy about the whole thing with Oliver… had he? She looked to Cooper who glanced up her. His expression was unreadable. 

He _had_ to know that she would say something about Cooper’s own affair if that was brought up, not to mention the fact that he’d practically talked her into spending the night with Oliver in the first place. Felicity ground her teeth as the attorney repeated the question. 

“Nothing like that had any basis in my breaking up with Cooper Seldon,” she replied. It was the truth; she’d already decided she would break up with him before she’d learned about his affair and her own liaison with Oliver had very little bearing on the decision. “As I mentioned before, we had grown apart. We were fighting a lot and I realized I was no longer in love with him.”

“Was it because of his arrest that you broke up with him?”

“No. Learning about his role in the QC hack came after my decision to end our relationship. This was a purely personal decision for me.”

“Did Mr. Seldon try to talk you out of breaking up with him?”

“Not very much… but he was arrested directly after I’d told him our relationship was over so I can’t say that he had much of a chance.”

The public defender excused her after that with no more questions to ask. Felicity took a seat on the opposite side of the gallery from Oliver but she felt his eyes on her as she watched the rest of the proceedings. 

The trial wrapped up relatively quickly after that. She was the last witness (Curtis and Oliver hadn’t even needed to be called, and Felicity was grateful to be out of that particular spotlight) so the attorneys gave their closing statements directly after her testimony. The jury deliberated for only about a half an hour before returning with a verdict. 

Guilty. Cooper Seldon was guilty of all charges. His sentencing would follow in the next few days but Rachel had explained to her that he would likely be sentenced to prison for at least ten years and perhaps more if the judge saw fit. 

Felicity was shaking as she walked out of the courtroom. She was self-aware enough to know it was from relief. For the first time since that awful Monday morning she felt like it was truly all _over_. She could move forward with her life and her new business with no clouds hanging over her. 

“Felicity!” a voice called behind her as she pushed out the doors at the front of the courthouse. She looked behind her to see Oliver jogging to catch up. 

“I wasn’t expecting you to show up today,” she said as he joined her, walking down the steps. “Rachel told me they didn’t need you to testify.”

“I came because I knew _you_ were testifying. I wanted to be there for moral support. And… to help, if I could,” he admitted. 

Felicity recalled all the evidence that the prosecution had been given. “I know you already helped quite a bit, protecting me. I appreciate that.”

Oliver smiled, relaxing a little. “I’m sorry you had to be involved at all.”

That reminded her of what he’d told her and she frowned, stopping at the bottom of the steps. “Are you sure? Because if I recall, you wanted to punish me for my possible involvement in the whole nonsense.”

He made a frustrated noise. “Felicity, I knew almost right away that you weren’t involved. That… what I said… that was a gut reaction when the hack first happened. But I promise you, that’s _not_ why I wanted you to spend the night with me.”

“You’ll excuse me if I don’t believe you,” she grumbled, pushing past him and heading towards the meter where she’d parked her Mini. 

“Felicity, we need to talk about this,” he said, following her. “I gave you some space because I thought you needed it but almost a month has gone by and I think you’ve had enough space.”

“Oliver, just let it go.”

He took her arm as she turned away to unlock her car and spun her around to face him. “I told you that night that if you were mine, I would never stop fighting for you.”

Felicity swallowed, trying not to get overwhelmed by his nearness, his face so close to hers. _God, he was still so damn gorgeous_. “I’m not yours though.”

“I beg to differ,” he said. “You are mine and I am yours. And I’m not going to give up until I remind you of that.”

He let her go and walked away, his shoulders straight. Felicity blinked after him, her hand pressed over her heart which was pounding erratically. _Holy frack_. So maybe this thing between her and Oliver wasn’t as over as she’d previously thought. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> See? There's hope!


	13. Chapter 13

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> As things in Felicity's professional life settle down, her personal life reminds her that it will not be ignored... Oliver hasn't given up on her yet... and neither has Oliver's biggest champion.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello, friends! It was a big, long week last week. Or was that just me? I always seem to forget how chaotic December is until I'm actually living it. It feels like it's been months since I updated this, not days. Then again, it doesn't help that in that time I've posted like a bazillion "and so this is Christmas" updates... Okay maybe that's exaggerating. But here we are! Chapter thirteen is pivotal and you'll soon see why. And just let me apologize in advance.... 
> 
> Big shoutout to the ladies on Twitter and especially @lexiblackbriar for her posters (and enthusiasm) for this story!

Felicity hadn’t really thought Oliver was being serious about fighting for her. She thought it was just pretty words, something he thought she wanted to hear. She expected maybe a phone call or him stopping by her cubicle or something of the sort. What she did not expect was an enormous bouquet of flowers on her desk the next day. He didn’t sign the card but the note (“ _I need a lot more than just twelve hours with you_ ”) left no doubt in her mind who the flowers were from.

There were flowers on her desk _every_ Friday after that. The first bouquet had been two dozen dark scarlet red roses that had everyone on the IT floor (even the men) stopping by to admire them. The second delivery was for thirty delicate blue-purple lilies accented with frothy white baby’s breath. They were stunning in their beauty and Felicity found her eyes drawn to them for the rest of the day. The third bouquet was a virtual riot of white daisies nestled amongst fern fronds. They looked so friendly and bright that she couldn’t help but smile when she caught sight of them on her desk. Felicity couldn’t have said which one was her favorite either. 

Curtis definitely noticed, oohing and ahhing over each bouquet. He was the only one who knew the flowers were from Oliver and Felicity swore him to silence about it, not wanting to start the office gossip mill going. Each Friday, he told her that she needed to at least text Oliver to let him know she got the flowers and she was sorely tempted to do it. But she held back, each time, much to Curtis’ disappointment. She was convinced it was the best way to preserve her heart… or what was left of it. 

If Felicity expected this would be the extent of the romantic gestures, she soon realized otherwise. Oliver didn’t stop with just ridiculous displays of flowers. That was just the _start_. The next thing Felicity noticed was that it became suddenly much easier to set up meetings with potential investors for Smoak Enterprises. Before, no one was taking her seriously, even though she had an amazing presentation with some solid numbers to back up her earnings forecasts. On paper, Smoak Enterprises was a smart investment but Felicity herself was a relative unknown in the world of business so the big names she needed to sign on remained out of reach. After Cooper’s trial, however, that all changed. 

The first call she got was from Ray Palmer’s office over at Palmer Tech. His assistant wanted to set up a meeting with her for the next week to discuss some of her ideas and the possibility of Palmer Tech investing in her company’s startup. Felicity was floored. But that wasn’t the end of it. She then got calls from Kord Industries and Wayne Tech. LexCorp called the following week, as did Amertek Industries, STAR Labs and Starrware Industries. Before she knew it, Felicity had more opportunity than she knew what to do with. She and Curtis were very busy, preparing their presentations and then meeting with the different investors. Felicity never voiced her suspicions aloud, but she rather thought that Oliver was behind all these meetings. In fact, there was no other explanation that made any sense. Still, she didn’t know what to make of him doing this for her… unless he really did care for her. Unless he really did want to fight for her. 

And each of the companies who contacted her agreed to some level of investment, which was _unheard_ of. Her biggest investors ended up being Queen Consolidated, Wayne Tech, Palmer Tech and STAR Labs. Suddenly, her initial $500,000 fund was joined by a lot more investment and Felicity and Curtis had an impromptu celebration at his apartment featuring a bottle of champagne and way too much pizza. 

Things were going so well that Felicity finally felt able to consider moving out of her shabby apartment in the Glades. Curtis helped her find something closer to where he lived, which was in a nice neighborhood but still affordable. She finally picked a nice brownstone townhouse that was just a couple blocks away from Curtis and Paul. Both guys helped her on moving day, though she didn’t really have that much to move. As far as furnishings went, she purchased all new pieces. _Especially_ the bedroom set. New mattress and sheets too. Best to start fresh. She really didn’t care to have any reminders of her old life in her lovely new townhouse. 

But a new home wasn’t the only real estate Felicity was in the market for. She still needed to find business space to lease for Smoak Enterprises but she was having a hard time finding just the right thing. She was working with a realtor, the same one who helped her find her townhouse, but so far they hadn’t had any luck. She’d looked in strip malls, she’d looked in the outskirts, as close to the downtown corridor as she could afford and even at some renovated lofts in the Glades. But so far, nothing was the right place balanced with the best location and best features. 

About a week after she moved into her town house, her agent got a tip about a hot new property that hadn’t been listed yet. It was just outside the downtown corridor, near the harbor, and was a renovated loft. It had the location she wanted, the charm she wanted and the _features_ she wanted. There was even an expansive balcony that looked out over downtown and the bay, reminding Felicity of the view from Oliver’s penthouse balcony. The windows offered nearly the same breathtaking view and Felicity felt tears spring to her eyes as she stood in the center of the space and took it all in. It was perfect. 

It was _Oliver_. He’d sent her those flowers and she’d strongly suspected that he’d helped her line up meetings with investors and now… this loft space was from him. She knew it as surely as she knew she still had feelings for him. It made her ache. She just couldn’t put her finger on whether that ache was longing or heartache. Or both. 

“Do you like the space?” her realtor asked. 

Felicity turned, a tremulous smile on her lips. “Its perfect. I’ll take it.”

When she showed it to Curtis, he was just as excited as she was (though understandably less emotional). He immediately launched into all his ideas for what they could do with the space, adding walls and partitions for offices and conference space. He was particularly excited about the upstairs space that would be perfect for a lab. He couldn’t wait to start moving equipment in and start tinkering around with inventions. Felicity couldn’t wait to get started either. But both of them had a few more hoops to jump through first, up to and including quitting their jobs at QC. 

It was a little more than four weeks after Cooper’s verdict was read, a week or so after the daisies were delivered, that Oliver showed up at her cubicle. 

It was just like the last time he’d come to her there, while everyone else in the department was out at lunch and the floor was empty and quiet. Felicity was eating a salad that she’d brought from home (pre-packaged, of course, since her cooking skills didn’t even include assembling a decent salad). 

“I’m done playing nice,” his voice said and Felicity froze before turning around to face him.

“Thank you for the flowers,” was all she could think of to say in reply. 

“Oh, so you got those?” he asked, a sarcastic lift to his eyebrows. He was smiling though, telling her that he wasn’t actually angry. Still, she got to her feet and backed away towards the rear of her cubicle. 

“Curtis told me to let you know that I got them, but I just… I wasn’t ready.” 

Oliver sighed. “Did you at least like them?”

Felicity nodded. “I did. I do. And everything else I know you’ve been doing, too. But, Oliver… I’m still not ready. I’m still so angry by what you did. I was honest with you and you…” 

She broke off and turned away, biting back what she really wanted to say. 

“Felicity, I just want to have a chance to explain everything to you. Please, can you give me that?” he asked earnestly. 

She turned back around and noticed the broken expression on his face. Her resolve cracked and she nodded, resigned, sinking back down into her chair. “Okay, Oliver. I’ll hear what you have to say.” 

He grabbed Curtis’ chair and pulled it over so he could sit across from her. “I told you that I wanted to punish Cooper. And that, until I knew you weren’t involved, you as well.”

It felt like a whole boulder was sitting in her stomach to be reminded of her worst moment in recent memory. “Yes, I remember that part.”

“You didn’t let me finish,” he admonished her gently. “I knew almost right away that you didn’t have a part in it. That very night in the precinct, when I made the offer. I could tell that you knew nothing about it and felt foolish for ever thinking it in the first place. And that belief was only strengthened the more I spent time with you. 

“To be honest, being with you didn’t just change my mind about that. You changed my mind about _everything_. You see, I was going to live my life alone, be the man I knew my parents always hoped I could be, run the company and take care of my sister… but that was it. I didn’t have any intention of ever settling down, getting married, having a family. Work was plenty enough to keep me busy and I really didn’t think I was meant for anything more than that. But then I spent twelve hours with you. And I learned that twelve hours would never be enough.”

The temptation to give in was so strong that Felicity had to grasp the fabric of her skirt in her hands to keep herself from reaching for him. She’d thought that he might say something like this, weaken her resolve. She didn’t think he was lying either, which made it so much harder. Maybe he was exaggerating a little, but as time went on, that would fade. His feelings for her would fade away. She was _sure_ of it. 

Oliver didn’t love her. He _couldn’t_. He’d never said so, never given any indication that he did. Sending flowers and setting up meetings did not mean a man was in love. If anything, it indicated a healthy guilt complex. He had good reason to feel guilty, as far as she was concerned. And she absolutely could not consider sacrificing her heart for someone’s guilt complex. 

“Thank you for explaining,” she said, tugging on her own fingers in her lap. “And I really want to say, ‘it’s okay’ but… it’s not. I gave you everything that night, Oliver. And the night ended with all that I’d given being thrown back in my face.”

“Felicity, I’m so sorry,” he said, leaning forward towards her. “If I could take back the way I told you everything, I would. I was so scared you were going to go home to Cooper and that I was going to lose you. I was desperate and I fucked up.”

She squeezed her eyes shut for a moment. “Don’t you realize how even that makes me feel like I’m your possession, like I’m yours to manipulate like I’m a piece on a chessboard?”

Oliver’s face paled. “That’s not my intention, Felicity. Not at all.”

“But do you understand that it feels that way to me? I won’t be property, either yours or Cooper’s. I won’t be manipulated.” Felicity paused and took a deep breath. “I didn’t tell you that night but I was already planning to break up with Cooper. Not because of you, but because of _me_. So you didn’t even need to worry about me going back to him. Instead, what you could have done was _talk to me_.”

“You were breaking up with him?” Oliver looked stunned. 

“Yes, Oliver. And I did, before he was arrested.”

“But, then we can… you and I—“

She held up a hand. “No. There is no ‘we’ right now, Oliver. There’s a you and there’s a me. You hurt me that morning so now I’m taking care of myself. I spent way too many years not taking care of myself, actually. Part of that is keeping away from you, because you make it too easy to want to forget about protecting myself.”

“Felicity…”

“I appreciate all the help you’ve given me, getting Smoak Enterprises up and running. I really do. I couldn’t have done everything I have so far if not for you. But right now, Oliver, I’m not ready to let you back into my heart.”

Oliver nodded, looking down at his hands. Then, without another word, he got up and walked away from her, back to the elevators. Felicity watched him go, her heart twisting in her chest. A huge part of her was screaming that letting him go was a mistake. But a larger part assured her she was doing the right thing for herself. 

And right then, taking care of herself and starting Smoak Enterprises were the most important things. 

***

The day after Oliver visited her cubicle, both she and Curtis put in their two weeks notice with Queen Consolidated. It was time to focus on Smoak Enterprises, sure. But Felicity also wanted to avoid another situation where she ran into Oliver at work. She couldn’t visit the coffee cart or ride the elevators without holding her breath anymore. 

It wasn’t that she was hiding from him so much as she was… well, yes. She was hiding from him. But those wounds were still so fresh!

No one could blame her. Well, Curtis did, a little. He wanted her to talk to Oliver. He told her that he “shipped” them. That was crossing the line, she felt, and she’d had to institute a “No Oliver Zone” for during work. No bringing him up, no subtle allusions, and definitely no quietly urging her to talk to him. 

Getting everything tied up at QC during their last two weeks kept them too busy to talk about Oliver anyhow. It was exciting and scary. Because she had to figure out things like health insurance and retirement accounts and all of that. She no longer was going to have the safety net of working for a large corporation. Though so many of the executives she’d networked with had offered advice anytime she needed it. 

Much appreciated. But she still was a bundle of nerves on her last day at QC. 

The IT department threw her and Curtis a small going away celebration. It mostly amounted to a sheet cake in the break room and people stopping by her cubicle all day to wish them both luck. A few had even slipped her and Curtis their resumes, asking to be considered if any positions opened up. Curtis told her that was a very good sign. 

The first day of work at Smoak Enterprises was strange and exciting. Exciting because her dream was finally coming true and Felicity could feel the potential stretching out before them. It was strange, though, because everything was so new and empty still. It didn’t feel real. After three years of working in a noisy IT cubicle farm, the tranquil silence of the new Smoak Enterprises offices was hard to get used to. 

Halfway through the morning, she had a visitor. 

“Thea!” she exclaimed upon seeing the young woman standing in the reception area, looking around. 

“Felicity!” They embraced. “I heard today was your first day and since I’m home on break, I had to come down and see what you had going on.”

Felicity didn’t have to ask where she’d heard that from. “Well, this is it! Smoak Enterprises!”

“I _love_ your logo,” Thea said pointing to the large sign that hung over the temporarily vacant reception desk. She still had to hire someone to answer phones and greet visitors but there was plenty of time to get that done. 

“Thank you! I love it too. An up and coming designer made it for us and I could not be happier with it.”

“I love this whole space you have too,” Thea went on, moving through the open first floor area, admiring the artistic touches. “The combination of rustic brick and industrial steel and glass really works. All the modern furniture and technology… looks like you mean business here.”

Felicity chuckled. “Well, as a matter of fact, I do.”

“Oliver better be nervous, you might steal some business from him,” Thea remarked with a wry grin. 

She didn’t think there was too much chance of that happening. “So, you said you’re home on break? How’s school going?” 

“School is great but I’m transferring,” Thea told her. 

“Transferring! To where?”

“Starling City University. I dropped my spring classes and I’m taking an extra long summer and when classes resume in September, I’ll be there instead.”

Felicity showed Thea her office which was a closed off room at the back corner. She gestured for her to sit down on one of the sofas she had positioned before the windows and then joined her. “I thought you loved the fashion program at CCU?”

“I did. But SCU just started a program of their own, with better funding and better professors and advisors. Plus, I missed Oliver. I wanted to live at home. The dorms at CCU sucked.”

She had to laugh at that. “Yeah, they sucked at MIT too, so I can’t blame you there. I’m sure Oliver will appreciate having you nearby.”

Thea bit her lip and scooted closer to Felicity. “Actually, can we talk about Oliver?”

“Thea… no. I’m happy to show you around, I’m happy to get coffee with you or go to lunch or anything like that. But I really don’t want to talk about your brother right now.” 

“Please, Felicity? I won’t take long.”

“Did Oliver put you up to this?” she asked, rolling her eyes. Felicity moved to stand up but Thea grabbed her wrist. 

“No, he didn’t. He doesn’t know I’m here. He’d probably be pissed if he knew I was, judging from our conversation last night.”

She sighed. “Fine, okay.” Lifting her phone, Felicity shot a text to Curtis who was upstairs tinkering around in the lab, asking him to keep an ear out for the phone and an eye out for any visitors while she was busy with Thea. “What do you have to say?” It occurred to her that the Queen siblings were very alike in their confrontation techniques and she really should have seen this coming. 

“I want to tell you a story about three different Olivers,” Thea began. “The first one is the first Oliver I knew. I grew up with him. He was sweet with me, but he was also busy. And as he got older, he got busier. He would still make a point to spend time with me but, well, I’m sure you’ve heard the stories about him during the time.”

“It was kind of hard to miss. He made all the websites and entertainment shows.”

“My brother was a mess. My parents had high expectations for him and didn’t much care what he wanted to do. So he did what any teenager does, or wants to do… he rebelled.”

“He partied, he slept with any female that had a pulse and a pair of legs, he peed on cop cars… should I go on?”

“So you get the point,” Thea said, waving a hand. “He had a girlfriend and he cheated on her constantly. She looked the other way because her goal was to become Mrs. Oliver Queen. But then, my parents died. That’s when the second Oliver showed up. Almost overnight, even. He was named my guardian and immediately stopped all the partying, all the women, all the peeing on cop cars. He even broke up with his girlfriend, finally admitting that he never really loved her and that he needed to focus on me. I felt guilty about that, later on. But then I realized it was true. It was better they not get married after all.”

“Cheating isn’t generally a good indicator of marital success,” Felicity quipped. Thea grinned. 

“No, it’s not. But I did hope he would date someone. He’d have these casual dates to bring to events and charity balls and galas and such, but that was it. And he never brought a woman back to the mansion. Ever. I wasn’t doing so great myself at the time. I didn’t handle our parents’ deaths very well. But the one thing I was glad of at the time was having the bulk of Ollie’s attention. I tried to rebel, believe me, but nothing got past him. He knew all the tricks already! But between taking care of me and taking care of the family business, he had no time for a private life. He retreated into himself then. I told you this before, but I don’t think you understand what a _difference_ it was. We used to be able to laugh over silly stuff. He’d tease me about boy bands and girly things and we’d have popcorn fights while watching movies. After, well… all that stopped. He didn’t tease anymore or laugh, really.”

Felicity felt her heart break a little for the Queen children, despite herself. Thea, for losing her parents so young. And Oliver, for losing his youth. 

“That went on until… well… until you came along. He became the third Oliver. I noticed a difference several months ago, around Christmastime. And in the weeks after. You remember when I called you and yelled at you, right?”

“How could I forget?” she said, winking. 

“Not my finest moment. But I’m protective. Still, he was opening up. He was talking to me and smiling and… I was so excited when I learned he was seeing you. I thought that maybe he was finally breaking out of the funk he’d been in since Mom and Dad died. When I met you, well, Felicity, I hope you don’t mind me saying so but I felt like I was meeting more than just a friend. It felt like meeting a sister.”

Felicity blushed. “Thea… I think you’re getting ahead of yourself.”

The young woman snorted. “Ask me what Oliver said when I told him the same thing just last night.”

“What did he say?” she asked in spite of herself. 

Thea grinned. “He did _not_ tell me I was getting ahead of myself. Believe me, no one is more surprised about than I am. I was fully expecting him to chastise me and tell me I was making too much of things. I just wanted to get a reaction out of him, you see? But… it was strange. He got this weird look on his face. Then he started to look sad and said he’d messed any chance of making that ever happen.”

Her breath caught for a moment and Felicity tried to hide her reaction. Why would he say something like that? Had he actually envisioned a life together with her? It was absurd, unthinkable. 

“Thea, you must have heard him wrong. He wasn’t interested in a real relationship with me,” Felicity protested. 

“Are you nuts?” Thea asked. “He’s been mooning around for the last couple of months because you dumped him. He’s _worse_ somehow than he was during those eight years before you came around. He’s been a bear, yelling at everyone and growling and being a pain in the ass, if you ask me. If you think he wasn’t interested in getting serious with you, then you two need to have a conversation even more than I thought.”

Felicity bit her lip. She didn’t want to believe it was true, she wanted to protect that last wall, guarding her heart. Tears pricked at her eyes and she blinked quickly, looking away. 

Thea put her hand over Felicity’s. “Listen. I don’t want to act like I know what your issues are with him. Or why you’re nervous to be with him. But I think you owe it to yourself and to him to give it a try. Because I can tell, sitting here talking to you, that you have feelings for him too.”

“Thea…”

“Please, Felicity.”

Her defenses against these Queens were weak as hell and Felicity just knew she was going to rue the day she ever met either of them. But there was a kernel of hope inside of her, deep inside, that knew what Thea was saying was true. And what Oliver had told her was true. So where did that leave her?

“I’ll consider it,” was all she could promise. 

“I’ll take it.”

Felicity was walking Thea out of the offices when a thought occurred to her. “I know it’s not in the fashion industry and you may want to look for suitable internships there but… maybe I could talk you into filling our receptionist position? At least until we can find permanent help.”

“Really? You’d want my help?” Thea asked, looking a bit dazed at the suggestion. 

“Of course. You’re very personable and if you’re anything like your brother, you have a killer work ethic.” 

That made Thea laugh. “I’ll think about it! Oh, it’d sure bug the crap out of Ollie. He’s been trying to get me to intern at QC for _years_.”

As Felicity walked back to her office after Thea left, she had a lot on her mind, a lot to think about. She knew Oliver’s sister was right about one thing: it was time to make a decision about Oliver once and for all. 

***

The very next day, Felicity was walking across the marble tiled lobby of Queen Consolidated. Her stiletto heels clicked noisily and heads turned to watch her as she approached the reception desk. She wore one of her recent purchases, a sleek tailored suit. The grey wool formed to her body, the skirt displaying enough leg to catch the eye but remain professional. The suit framed her torso and elongated it, highlighting the flash of color from her red blouse underneath. She left her hair down, waving around her shoulders but wore her glasses since she not only preferred them to contact lenses, she felt they gave her more of a professional and no-nonsense appearance. 

She’d done a lot of thinking in the last day… both at work and then at home and then sitting in her bathtub with a glass of wine and then all that day as well. Curtis had remarked more than once about how distracted she was. He’d also remarked on her outfit, calling her out on her “power suit” and asking who she was looking to impress today. Felicity didn’t want to tell him who, she’d never hear the end of it. 

So she’d driven over in her latest purchase… or rather _lease_. It was a tasteful mid-sized Toyota, just like she’d once told Cooper they should get rather than some showy sports car. It gave her an enormous amount of pleasure to drive, knowing it was hers. It was, however, fire engine red. She needed a little bit of pizazz, after all. 

“Felicity Smoak, here to see Oliver Queen,” she said to the man working the desk. She passed her business card to him, emblazoned with the glossy new logo that she was so proud of. 

“Just a moment, Ms. Smoak. We’ll call up to see if he’s available.” The man picked up the phone and spoke in low tones to whomever was on the other end.

Lord, she hoped he was. She’d feel mighty foolish if he wasn’t and she had to slink out of here. 

A moment later, the man gave her a clip on badge and waved her through the executive elevator. She swallowed her nerves and smiled before heading towards the elevator bank. Her fingers shook as she clipped the badge onto her lapel. It was now or never. He knew she was here, one way or another, and knew she was coming. 

The butterflies in her stomach multiplied on the elevator ride up to the 37 th floor. She reminded herself, over and over, that she was just here to talk. She’d cut off their conversation two weeks ago, not wanting to hear Oliver plead his case or let her guard down long enough to even think about listening to what he said. But now, she was ready. She remembered what Thea had said and all the things Curtis had been saying all this time. 

The elevator doors slid open smoothly and Felicity stepped out. Straight ahead was the reception area for Oliver’s office, including his executive assistant’s desk. The older woman sat primly there, typing away at something on her desktop computer. She looked up with a mild, bland smile as Felicity approached. 

“May I help you?” 

“I’m Felicity Smoak, here to see Oliver Queen,” she said, stepping up to the desk. The other woman’s features smoothed out. 

“Oh yes! Ms. Smoak. He’s expecting you, just go right in.” The woman gestured to Oliver’s office door and Felicity nodded at her before walking to the door. She paused for just a half a second, taking a deep breath and steeling herself. 

Felicity pushed the door open and stepped inside. She hadn’t been in Oliver’s office since the night she came here with Cooper to discuss the details of the offer. It’d been months and so much had happened in that time. She’d changed as a person, she knew that without a doubt. The real question was… had Oliver changed too?

Her eyes fastened on him, where he sat behind his desk, reading over a file. He looked up right away, his gaze finding hers across the room as she closed the door behind her. He stood but his body language spoke of uncertainty and nervousness. Somehow, seeing that he was feeling at least as nervous as she was made her feel so much more at ease. 

“Hello, Oliver,” she said. 

“Felicity. Hi.” 

Neither of them moved as tension filled the room. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *wince* Okay that's a mean cliffhanger. But I gotta hold you guys on the line a little bit right? And just think how great next week's CHRISTMAS update will be!


	14. Chapter 14

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Oliver and Felicity have a much needed, much overdue conversation.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> MERRY CHRISTMAS EVERYONE! 
> 
> I hope you enjoy this chapter, that you've been waiting so long (and so patiently) for! It's my pleasure to share it with you. 
> 
> I hope everyone is having a lovely holiday season, even if you do not celebrate. My heart is full with the response you've given to this fic. This is the penultimate chapter, one more after this! I might post it on New Year's Eve so you have it to end the year with. So be on the lookout for the last update next Sunday!

Felicity was unsure what her next move should be and Oliver wasn’t saying a word. She cleared her throat nervously. 

“Do you have a few minutes? You’re not busy, are you?” she asked, twisting her hands together. 

Oliver shook his head. “No, not at all.” He leaned over and hit a button on his office phone. “Mrs. Gaines, please hold my calls and clear my calendar for the rest of the day.”

It was three in the afternoon but still, it felt like a heavy gesture. The butterflies in her stomach kicked up again. What was she going to _say_? She’d practiced in her head all day but now that she stood here, before him, all those planned words flew right out of her head. 

“I heard you had your first day yesterday,” Oliver said, filling the silence between them. “Congratulations.”

Felicity nodded. “Yes. Everything’s going great so far. Uh… thank you again for the support.”

“Thea said she stopped by to tour the offices, she sounded pretty impressed, actually,” he added. Felicity waited for him to continue, to mention what Thea had talked to her about or even the job Felicity had offered but he didn’t. 

“Yeah, uh, you’re welcome to stop by any time as well.”

“Am I?” he asked. “Welcome, that is?”

Felicity could understand why he wouldn’t be sure, given how things had been between them lately. She let her shoulders relax. “Of course you are,” she said. 

“Okay, maybe I’ll stop by sometime,” he said and gestured over to the sitting area. Felicity walked ahead of him and took a seat on the sofa. He sat next to her but kept enough distance so they didn’t touch. “What brings you here, Felicity?” he asked gently. 

She took a deep breath. _No turning back now_. “I wanted to settle things between us. I’m embarking on a new stage in my life and leaving a lot of my past behind me. I wanted to ask you a question, to see what stage you belong in.”

“You mean your past? Or your future?” 

Felicity nodded. “Yes. I just want to know… was it real? I can’t take back what I said to you that morning, much as I wish I could for the sake of my own dignity. But it’s true… Despite trying so hard not to, I did fall for you. I fell in love with you in those two weeks and I just have to know… was it one sided? Or did you have feelings for me too? Because you never said.”

Oliver shifted on the seat next to her. He seemed to be thinking about what he would say carefully. “Felicity… I never thought you would ever come here to see me. I was absolutely certain I’d blown my chance with you. So before I say anything, I just want to say _thank you_ for coming here. It means more to me than you could know.”

“I want to be clear on something,” she said, holding up a hand and interrupting him. “Before we go any further here… I am not submitting to you or anything of the sort. I just want answers.”

He smiled. “Of course. I could never expect you to submit to anyone, Felicity, much less me. It’s one of the things I admire most about you.” He paused and reached for her hands. She allowed him to draw them into his own hands, cupping them around hers, warming them. “It was real. Absolutely it was real. It was real that very first night we spent together. It scared the shit out of me, to be honest and by the end of the night, I knew I was in way over my head with you. I didn’t know how to process how you’d just walked into my life and turned everything upside down for me. I was ready to be _alone_ and here you came… all light and kindness and charm and I couldn’t believe I had to let you go. Letting you out of the limo that next morning was the hardest thing I’ve ever had to do.”

Felicity recalled their first kiss in that limo, the way Oliver had held her, how he’d seemed to be struggling with himself as much as she had with her own self. It was somehow gratifying to learn that she hadn’t been the only one clinging to that moment. 

“That whole next week I went back and forth with myself. One day I would tell myself I needed to let you go, let the break be clean, let you go back to your life with Cooper. The next I would remind myself what sort of man Cooper really was. I’d remember how I felt with you and how I craved that for myself. But I decided I was going to let you be the one to choose if we had another night, another chance to be together. I was going to leave it all up to you. That was scary because I had no idea if you would agree to another night or not. It was so goddamn _hard_ to let go of that control… but I had to.”

Felicity knew how highly Oliver prized his control… or how much he had before their night together. It was one of his defining characteristics, she felt. Had she appreciated just how much of that control he had let go of around her, especially after that first night? 

“Felicity, when you told me that you were falling for me during our second night together… god… that was the best moment of my entire _life_. You gave me the greatest gift anyone has ever given me. You gave me your heart, even though I’m absolutely undeserving of it.” He squeezed her hands and shook his head ruefully. “I know I fucked things up with you. I was feeling desperate and I wanted to make sure you left Cooper. I was an ass. There were a million better ways I could have handled telling you what he’d done. When you walked out, I was frozen in place because I knew I had no right to run after you right then.”

“You did fuck up,” she said, her voice a little shaky with emotion. “I was so angry and hurt, Oliver. What you did—“

“I know. It killed me to know that I hurt you like that. I was the one who brought you that pain. I want so badly to make up for it. I’ve tried everything I can think of… giving you space, giving you time, giving you _flowers_ … I didn’t know what to do with you. I still don’t. Tell me what to do, Felicity, and I’ll do it. Even if it’s just to leave you alone, I’ll do it. I might kill me, but I’ll do it.” 

Felicity sighed. Her heart felt like it was cracked open, the walls she’d constructed around it crumbling and beyond repair. “I know I’ve got issues,” she told him. “And yeah, I think a lot of those have to do with my father leaving. I have a hard time trusting men. I trusted Cooper because it seemed so easy to trust him and he ended up hurting me more than any man I’ve ever known… including you and my father. I just… how can I trust my own judgement now?”

“I know you’re scared—“

“I’m terrified, Oliver! What if I make the wrong decision again? What if I let the wrong person into my life and my heart? I can’t risk what happened with Cooper happening again!”

“You don’t think I’m scared too?” Oliver asked her, his voice quiet and tender. “You heard what I said about giving up control, turning my life upside down… I haven’t let anyone into my life in _eight years_. But Felicity… honey… I’m more scared to go on without you. As scared as I am, the thought of that terrifies me.”

“I don’t want to get hurt again…” She was openly crying now, unable to hold back the flood of tears. Oliver pulled her into his arms. 

“I know. I promise you, I will never try to hurt you. But I might fuck up again. And I’ll need you to tell me when I do. We need to tell each other because that’s what couples do.”

She blinked, looking up into his eyes. He wanted to be a couple? He was smiling down at her, his blue eyes shining. Words failed her. 

Oliver took pity on her, standing up and pulling her up with him. “I have a favor you could do for me while you’re here, actually,” he said, his voice automatically becoming more formal and professional. She peered at him, wondering what he was up to. 

“Oliver…?”

He led her over to his desk and gestured at his computer. “I’m having trouble with my computer again, you see. I was working on a document for an upcoming meeting and now it’s not there. Can you help me find it?”

It took Felicity an embarrassingly long time to realize he was recreating the time they met, where she’d been called up to his office to help him only to discover he’d saved his file to the cloud drive. She could play along. Still, she was unsure where he was going with this. 

She sat at his desk and pulled up his file system. “What’s the file named?” she asked him. 

“Uh… I forget exactly. Try… apology.docx.” 

_Oh_. He really _did_ do this. Her heart thundered in her chest as she searched the cloud for the filename. She found it easily enough. Clearing her throat, she looked to Oliver. “It’s right here. Would you like me to move it to your hard drive?”

“I’d actually like to print it. Would you mind giving it a quick proofread for me? I make the dopiest spelling errors sometimes.”

He wanted her to read it. Oh, boy. Felicity held her breath and pulled up the document. It was addressed to her. 

 

_Dearest Felicity,_

_I’ve stopped and started this letter hundreds of times since you walked out of my penthouse. Even now, I’m not sure you’ll ever read it’s contents. But if you are, I just ask that you read through to the finish. And that you know that everything I say to you here comes from my heart._

_I’m sorry from the bottom of my heart for hurting you. The possibility I could have lost any chance at happiness with you in the future due to my actions and my words and my damned impulsiveness is something that keeps me up at nights and haunts me all day long._

_I never told you that night… and I should have. I should have told you over and over and over until you had no ability to doubt my sincerity: I love you, Felicity. I’m_ in _love with you. I can’t pinpoint when it happened, what sent me over the edge… or if I was falling for you from the first moment I met you. Did it happen all at once? Or gradually? These are questions I’d be happy to spend the rest of my life finding the answers to. With you by my side._

_Please don’t doubt me, Felicity. I love you with all my heart. You’ve helped me to see the value in having a full life, in having a family, in having friends again. Even if you never speak to me again, I will forever be grateful for that._

_All my love,_

_Oliver_

 

Felicity wiped her cheeks, brushing away her tears. The fight didn’t just leave her, it scoured her clean on it’s way out of her body. She was left feeling open and vulnerable… still scared but also feeling the warmth of love filling the cracks that had been left behind. She looked up at Oliver who was watching her with a nervous expression. Suddenly, it was such an easy thing to do to stand up and rush forward towards him. He caught her just in time, his arms around her waist and she pushed up onto her toes, kissing him deeply. 

One kiss had turned to two which had led to Felicity pushing at his suit jacket and Oliver deciding that they couldn’t do this in his office with his assistant on the other side of a relatively thin door. So he’d grabbed her hand and led her from the office, waving a goodbye to his assistant as he pulled her into the executive elevator. 

There, he’d kissed her senseless, only letting her go when the elevator car slowed as it reached the lobby. Felicity had barely had enough time to smooth her hair before the doors slid open and he was pulling her by the hand, yet again, across the lobby. 

“Where is your car?” he growled lowly and Felicity flushed, knowing that he only sounded like that when he was really angry or really turned on. 

“Parking garage,” she said breathlessly as he pulled her towards the entrance to the parking structure. “First floor, guest parking, slot 9.”

They reached the car in moments and if Oliver appreciated the shiny newness of her new baby, he didn’t say anything. He opened the passenger door and guided her inside. Then he climbed behind the wheel, punching the power button and causing the engine to roar to life. 

“I don’t recall telling you that you could drive my new car,” she remarked. Yes, this was him being pushy and controlling but at the same time, expressing it out of lust was something that she didn’t mind. As much. Didn’t mean she wouldn’t jab him about it though. 

Oliver deftly reversed out of the parking spot and headed towards the exit onto the city streets beyond. “No, you didn’t, but if I don’t keep my hands busy, they’re going to be all over you and I don’t want us getting into an accident before I’m able to get you naked underneath me again.”

Felicity colored at that. “Oh. Wow.”

“Where are we going, Felicity?” he asked brusquely. 

“What?” She was still trying to catch up to the last thing he’d said to her. 

“My place or your place? Tell me now which you’d prefer.”

“M-my place, I guess.” Felicity wasn’t so sure she wanted their reunion to happen in the same place she’d run from him. “Do you know where I live now?”

“You moved?” he asked. “I tried not to peek too much into your records…”

“I did,” she replied. And then she gave him directions. 

“I know exactly where that is,” he answered. “Old friend lives just down the street.”

“Oh really? Who?” she asked. 

He smiled. “The Diggles.”

“Diggle!” Felicity cried. “I’ve missed him. How is he?”

“He’s wonderful. His wife is expecting, actually. Due any day now.”

“That’s fantastic. I can’t wait to see him again.”

Oliver was a fantastic driver, deftly and swiftly navigating them through the congested streets of downtown Starling City. He was doing a much quicker job than she knew she would have and, frankly, she liked the chance to admire his profile. Rightness filled her as she watched him. She’d done the right thing. Everything she’d questioned to death before was simply gone in the face of the overwhelming rightness she felt. She didn’t regret not coming to him sooner, though. Felicity had very much needed the time and space to get over her hurt and to think things over. 

And now… she was _sure_. 

When they arrived at her new townhouse, Felicity directed Oliver to the alley in the back where she usually parked her car. Again, he took her hand as they walked around to the front door. 

“Nice place,” he said, admiring the simple elegance of the brownstone. “When did you move in?”

“I signed the papers about four weeks ago,” she answered, unlocking the front door with her key. “Moved in two weeks later.”

Oliver shut the front door and locked it, also sliding the latch across. Felicity set her purse on the side table she’d placed by the door and then spread her arms. “Well. This is it.” 

He turned to her with a rather intent look. Felicity backed up and pointed to her left. “This is the living room…” Then she pointed to her right. “And this is the kitchen. And—“

Oliver moved, pulling her into his arms and kissing her. His lips slanted across hers, his tongue begging entrance which she gladly granted. He sought to devour her, she thought, as his hands roved over her body and his mouth plundered hers. When he finally released her, she was panting and not just from lack of oxygen. 

“No offense, but can we do the tour later?” he asked, breathing hard as well. “I just need to know where your bedroom is.”

Felicity directed him… up the stairs and the second door on the left. Like before, he took her hand and pulled her after him and she had to chuckle at his urgency. Except she felt the same desire coursing through her own body and more than welcomed his desire to just get on with the main event. 

Oliver was very good at following directions and brought them right to her room, pushing inside, whirling her around to face him and kicking the door closed behind him.

“You think you’re so smooth,” she remarked. 

“I am so smooth. But I swear to god, Felicity, you make me feel like a fifteen year old boy again,” He pulled her into his arms and ran his hands through her hair, brushing it away from her face. “I just hope I don’t embarrass myself.”

“I think you’ll manage just fine,” she said, resuming what she’d tried to do back in his office. She pushed the suit jacket from his shoulders and immediately began to work on the buttons of his shirt. 

Oliver busied himself with undressing her as well, treating her jacket and blouse in much the same manner. As he parted the silken fabric of her blouse, however, he smiled. “I didn’t mention it before, but you looked so fucking sexy in this suit. I wasn’t sure if you were there to bust my balls or not but suddenly I was okay with that being a possibility.” 

Felicity laughed as she pulled his belt from the loops in his trousers. “I wanted to look in control,” she admitted. 

“It worked,” he replied. 

That just made her laugh more. 

There was a lot of laughing and smiling and touching as they each undressed each other. It felt familiar but exciting and new all at the same time and Felicity was just so damn glad she was here in this moment. She was so glad she’d made the choice to go to QC to see him. So glad she’d listened to Thea and Curtis. Maybe she’d have to give them each a fruit basket or something. 

In moments, they were each down to their underwear; dark grey boxer briefs for him and a lacy cream bra and panties set for her. Oliver stood back, just staring at her. “How could I forget how gorgeous you are?” he mumbled as if to himself. 

She was having the same thoughts about him. Felicity stepped forward and laid a hand on his chest, right over his heart. His muscles were hard underneath her palm and his skin was hot and smooth. She let her hand trail down over his flank and danced her fingers over his rippling abs. Yes, it was fair to say she’d missed this body quite a bit. The man who came with it too, of course. But oh god… Oliver had an amazing body and when he focused all that on _her_ … he took her to places she’d never been with anyone else. 

He kissed her sweetly. Before, it’d been all desperation and tongues and teeth and lips but now… it was all about the connection. Felicity felt this kiss clear down in her toes and Oliver’s arm came around her back to hold her up as her knees weakened. She felt his fingers flick at the back clasp of her bra, opening it.Deftly he drew the straps down her arms and tossed the garment away before taking her back into his arms. She clutched at his shoulders, her hands barely able to fit around the muscles there. 

He lifted her easily, holding her against him and turned, moving towards the bed. He didn’t lift his head from hers, never stopped kissing her as he walked to her bed and bent down, setting her there. Only then did he draw back and Felicity immediately scooted back until her head was at her pillow. Oliver prowled after her, smiling and kissing up her legs, making her shiver. He reached up, hooking his fingers in the waistband of her panties and slowly drew them down her legs, never taking his eyes off of her. Then, he resumed kissing up her legs. As he passed her knees, he pulled them apart with his hands, then stroked his fingers up the insides of her thighs as he kissed over her belly and up towards her breasts. 

His touch was unhurried, reverent. Felicity wanted to hasten his movements, shifting and arching underneath him, but Oliver wasn’t going to be rushed. He kissed across her collarbones, nipping at the ball of her shoulder, before working up her neck. He brought his teeth and tongue into play just beneath her ear, making her moan out loud as she grabbed the back of his head and held him there. 

He found a spot that sent every little sensation straight down to her core, melting her and setting her ablaze all at the same time. “Oliver…” she gasped as one of his hands slipped between her legs, testing her wetness. His rough digits dragged through her slit, making her hips lift into his touch. God… she wanted him so badly. 

“Please,” she begged. 

“What do you need, Felicity?” he asked, his voice rough. His lips tugged at the lobe of her ear. 

“I need to feel you,” she groaned. Her hands went to his back, pulling him to her, her fingers digging into his muscles. 

“Where, honey? Where do you need to feel me?” One of his fingers pushed into her, stroking just inside her entrance before another finger joined it and they both plunged further inside her, making her cry out. 

“Right there!” 

“You are feeling me,” he said, his voice a rumble in her ear. “Right here…” His fingers scissored, stretching her, and then pumped into her. 

“Fuu—!” she cried. “I need— Oliver!”

“Say it, Felicity,” he growled. 

She reached down as far as she could to tug at the waistband of his boxer briefs. “Please, Oliver…”

“I want you to say what you want, honey,” he coaxed, drawing his fingers out of her. She groaned at the loss but then he circled those fingers around her throbbing clit and she moaned. 

He kept that up, building the fire within her until the tension was almost too much to bear. She was going to come but she wanted to feel him inside her when she did. She grabbed at him again. 

“Oliver… ngh… please… your cock! I need your cock inside me!” she finally screamed as he flicked her clit mercilessly. 

His hand drew away and she opened her eyes to see him smiling smugly down at her. “That wasn’t so hard was it?” he asked as he sat back. Felicity pushed up on her elbows to watch him push his boxers down, kicking them off. His cock sprang free, bobbing against his abdomen and Felicity knew she was going to have to get her hands on him later. She wanted to feel the weight of him in her mouth again. 

“Looks pretty hard to me,” she remarked, her lips curling. 

Oliver’s eyebrows went up. He smirked. “For you? Always. Do you know how many times I’ve jerked myself off to thoughts of you? For _weeks_ now.”

“I’ve thought of you too,” Felicity admitted. Oliver’s eyes darkened. 

“Have you touched yourself?” he asked, moving between her spread legs. Felicity lay back against the pillows. 

“Yes, but it’s not the same. I missed your fingers, your mouth, your cock…”

“I haven’t been with anyone else since you,” he told her, his eyes somber as he moved over her again. 

Felicity lifted her head and brushed a kiss against his lips. “I haven’t either.”

“I only want you,” he gasped, reaching between them to take ahold of his cock, lining up the fat head with her soaked entrance. 

“Yes,” she groaned as he pushed slowly inside of her, letting her feel every inch of his hard flesh. “Only you.”

He moved slowly and purposefully until he filled her entirely, their pelvises flush with one another. Felicity held him tight and Oliver peppered her face and neck with kisses, his scruff scratching her lightly. They held still for a moment as Oliver focused on her lips, kissing her deeply, tasting her with his tongue. She sighed into the kiss, feeling so full and complete. 

“I love you,” Felicity whispered against his lips. Her heart was overflowing and she couldn’t have kept the words back if she’d tried. They spilled out, unbidden, and she found she couldn’t regret saying them. Not then, not now, not ever. They were the truth. 

“Oh, Felicity,” Oliver groaned. He nuzzled his nose alongside hers. “I love you too, honey. God… so much.”

Her breath caught and she met his eyes, stunned by his words. He began to move then, slowly drawing back and then into her body again. Their eyes were locked as he sped up the motion of his hips and Felicity wrapped her legs around his hips, opening herself up to him so he could slide even deeper inside of her. 

It felt like so much more than just sex. As their bodies connected and their gazes locked, it felt like their souls were joining as well. Oliver moved with such purpose, snapping his hips just to make her mouth fall open on a moan. Felicity dug her nails into his back to make him gasp her name.

“You feel so good,” she groaned as he moved inside of her. Sex had never felt as good as it did with him. Felicity now accepted that it probably never would. 

Sweat stood out on his forehead but he didn’t look away or move to wipe it. Instead, he sped up his hips, groaning. “Felicity, I have to come, honey. Fuck— I need—“

She understood completely. She was right there with him, her own climax building incessantly within her. 

“Yes,” she breathed. “So close… c’mon…”

He reached between them to rub at her clit which was already getting stimulation from the thrust of his pelvis. But he applied his thumb, rubbing roughly and Felicity went from moaning to screaming out. 

“Oliver!” she shrieked as her orgasm raced up and enveloped her and she had to break Oliver’s gaze. Slamming her eyes shut, the release tightened her muscles and released spectacularly, causing her to see stars behind her eyes as came and came and _came_. She could vaguely make out the rough sounds Oliver was making as he sped up inside of her, his hips losing their rhythm. He held her tight, his face pressed into her shoulder, muffling his shout as he released inside of her. She could feel his cock pulsing as her walls continued to flutter around him and she held him tight, her hands smoothing over his sweat dampened hair. 

They lay, panting into each other’s skin, still joined. Felicity enjoyed the feeling of his weight on her, strong and solid. It felt right. She tightened her thighs around his hips in a sort of full body hug and a bid to keep him there with her, just a bit longer. 

After a few moments, Oliver tried to lift off of her but she grabbed at him, making a noise of displeasure. 

“I don’t want to crush you,” he murmured, reaching up to brush a sweaty lock of hair out of her eyes. 

“You aren’t. I like you here. I feel safe,” she admitted. 

“You _are_ safe,” he assured her. Dipping his head, he kissed her softly. “I will always keep you safe, Felicity.”

“That’s a big promise, Oliver,” Felicity said, hoping for lightness but her tone coming out more serious than she’d intended. 

With a wince, he pulled out of her and she sucked in a breath as he rolled to the side. He pulled her with him and she pulled up a blanket to cover their rapidly cooling bodies. Oliver pulled her tightly against him and Felicity twined her legs with his, wanting to keep touching as much of him as possible. 

“Felicity,” he began, his lips brushing her temple. “I find I want to make all kinds of promises to you.”

“Oliver…” she said, feeling uncertain. She didn’t come to him today because she expected him to make any sort of commitment. She knew such a thing wasn’t really in Oliver’s wheelhouse. “I don’t need that. I understand if you—“

A finger placed across her lips effectively silenced her. “I know what I want,” he said simply, removing the finger to brush it over the apple of her cheek. “I want you, Felicity. I want _us_. I don’t want a casual relationship with you. Not at all. I want strings very much attached.”

Felicity could barely believe what she was hearing but even more stunning was how badly she _wanted_ to hear it. Turning her head, she pressed a kiss to his chest, just over where his heart was thundering. 

“U-unless… you don’t want a relationship?” he asked, sounding so unsure that Felicity had to push up on an elbow to look down at him. 

“Nothing could be further from the truth,” she told him and dropped a kiss to his full lips. “I love you, Oliver Queen. God help me, I do. And I’m so happy to hear that you want a relationship. I would love nothing more.”

The smile that grew across his face was the most beautiful thing Felicity had seen in ages. She couldn’t help but answer it with a smile of her own. 

“So we’re in this together, Ms. Smoak?” he asked, an eyebrow quirking. 

“Absolutely, Mr. Queen.”

He pulled her down for another kiss and this one went on and on and resulted in a very satisfying round two for both of them. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Was that worth it? Did I do it justice?


	15. Chapter 15

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> What does the future have in store for Oliver and Felicity and their relationship?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> We have reached the end of the road, my friends. This chapter serves as a bit of an epilogue... but there's two parts to it. Hopefully you will enjoy what I cooked up. Thank you to EVERYONE who has read and supported this fic. I was very nervous about it to begin with but your encouragement and enthusiasm has eased my worries. I'm so glad for those of you who have read and enjoyed and shared that with me. It means the world to me, it's why I share my writing at all. 
> 
> Happy New Year to everyone! I hope the new year treats you all well. Big thanks, for the last time, to my ladies on Twitter who were the first to encourage me to post this and to @lexiblackbriar who made me such beautiful posters.

_Six Months Later…_

Felicity stepped out of her bathroom wrapped in a towel, her hair up in a towel turban. She hummed under her breath as she crossed to her dresser to pick out her underwear. Her fingers skated over several pairs of panties before selecting a new emerald green pair. Oliver had purchased the matching bra and panties set for her after the last pair he’d destroyed in his haste to get her undressed. 

She smiled at the memory and pulled the matching bra from the drawer, setting them on the bed. That was just about a month ago but it’d taken him until this last weekend to buy her the replacements. His excuse was he hated to go shopping, even if it was with her. She’d sweetened the pot by promising him a dressing room blow job. 

Sometimes, her boyfriend such a _guy_. 

Felicity walked to her closet to choose a dress, still thinking of the time he’d ripped her favorite panties and bra. He’d just come home to Starling from a business trip to Hong Kong. The trip had kept him away for about ten days and that was the longest either of them had gone without sex since the start of their relationship. To say he’d been a little desperate as soon as they’d arrived at his penthouse would be mildly. 

And, at the time, she hadn’t cared much that he’d ripped the garments. In fact, she’d found it pretty hot. The whole weekend had been scorching, with Oliver barely letting her out of his bed the whole two days. She’d barely had time to rush home Monday morning to shower and change for work. They didn’t normally have marathon weekends, but Oliver refused to let her go, given they both had a full schedule at work all week and she’d warned him she could get her period as early as the following weekend. 

Of course, she hadn’t and they’d been able to have all kinds of sex that next weekend as well. More good memories. Felicity chuckled as she pulled a navy wrap dress off the hanger and walked out of the closet. 

Her steps slowed as she reached the bed, however. Because now she was trying to recall when she did get her period. It hadn’t been that weekend, nor the week after that, nor the week after _that…_ In fact, she wasn’t sure she’d had her period at _all._

Feeling the blood rush from her face, she raced for her phone which sat on her bedside table. Her hands shook a little as she pulled up her calendar and started going back over the whole last month. No… she hadn’t had a period. Maybe she’d just skipped a month. It’d been rather stressful at Smoak Enterprises as new accounts had recently started flooding in. It was possible… right? 

Then she scrolled back through her calendar to the date of her last period… That one she did recall, it was the same week her mother had come for an impromptu visit which she and Oliver had joked was good timing but it was also terrible timing because her mother being in town wasn’t a great time to have a surplus of hormones coursing through her system. 

Which meant… it’d been… _20… 28… 30… 40… shit… 44 days_ since her last period.

Felicity sat down heavily on the edge of her bed, letting the phone slip from her fingers. What if she was pregnant? She was on birth control. Wasn’t that supposed to prevent this sort of thing from happening? 

What would Oliver say?

Felicity couldn’t handle not knowing. The mystery gnawed at her, sending her back to her feet so she could get dressed as quickly as possible. She wanted to be able to stop at the pharmacy before heading into work. Hopefully, a pregnancy test would answer some questions. It’s just that she wasn’t sure exactly what answer she wanted to see. 

As Felicity dressed, fixed her hair, did her makeup and drove to the pharmacy, her mind was occupied with this possibility… the chance that she could be pregnant right this very moment. There could be a baby growing within her, a being that combined her traits with Oliver’s… and was wholly _theirs_.As much as this wasn’t anything they had planned for and they weren’t even living together (much to Oliver’s chagrin)… Felicity found she didn’t hate the idea. Not at all. 

Felicity walked in a daze through the pharmacy to where the pregnancy tests were sold. She couldn’t stop thinking about what Oliver’s reaction might be. There was no telling how he’d take the news if she was pregnant. She remembered all those months ago when they’d been negotiating her first night with him and he’d been so clear about birth control and no pregnancies. But things had changed so much between them since then. While they didn’t live together, they were committed. And very much in love. 

As she paid for the three tests (different brands, just to hedge her bets) at the checkout, Felicity realized that if she was pregnant, that chances were pretty good Oliver would insist they move in together. 

The short drive to the office was spent thinking about all the discussions they’d had about living arrangements in the past three months. Oliver had asked her move in with him right away but Felicity had said no. She’d just moved into her place and she wasn’t ready to give up that bit of independence quite yet. For three months, he’d tried multiple tactics. She knew he hated it, that he was a possessive and protective man who wanted her close all the time. There was a part of her that enjoyed that part of him. But she was also a strong, independent woman.She needed Oliver to recognize that part of her, and respect it.

And he was trying. 

But Felicity knew this would be the end of it, if he took the news well. He would insist on moving in together and that would probably mean selling her apartment and living in his penthouse. 

On the other hand… if he didn’t take the news well… Felicity wasn’t sure what she’d do if that was the case. Suddenly, she felt very, very nervous. 

By the time she walked into Smoak Enterprises, her palms were sweating. Thea greeted her from the reception desk but Felicity was so distracted she could barely give the poor girl a smile and a wave as she rushed back to her office and shut the door behind her. 

She set her things down and pulled the pregnancy test boxes from the shopping bag. Did she have to pee? Maybe. Sort of. Actually, the more she thought about it, the more she did have to go. She went to the mini fridge she had tucked into the shelving behind her desk and pulled out a bottle of water. Opening it, she drank it in several long swallows.

Then, taking a deep breath, she gathered up the boxes again and headed to the washroom they’d had put in at the corner of her office. Her fingers were still shaking as she pulled the test and instructions from the first box. The direction were pretty simple and easy to follow. Just pee on the stick and wait to see if your life was going to change irrevocably. No big deal. 

Felicity did her thing, trying to leave some urine in her bladder for taking another test because she already knew she wasn’t going to trust this first result. She replaced the cap on the test and washed her hands, trying to look anywhere but at the small test window. The instructions said to wait three minutes before reading the result and damned if she was gonna glance before then. 

She paced out of the office and sat at her desk, trying to check her email. She could barely concentrate. She noticed a message from Curtis about meeting with him to talk over a project later that morning. Felicity found she couldn’t think that far ahead. Her schedule was entirely comprised of the next three minutes. Two minutes now, actually. 

Her intercom buzzed and Felicity hit the button. “Yes?”

“You okay in there, boss?” Thea asked. “You seemed kind of distracted and you didn’t even stop to ask me about my date last night.”

Frack. That’s right. Thea had a date with a guy last night, one of the new bartenders at Tommy’s Verdant. Oliver did not approve even remotely but Felicity had encouraged Oliver’s sister to explore things with this kid. She liked him. She was young and enjoying life and why not, right? Not that she had a lot of extra time between her classes at Starling City University and her hours working here at Smoak Enterprises, but what free time she had should be spent on the social scene, Felicity thought. They’d had their first date last night and Felicity had promised to grill her about it first thing in the morning. 

“Oh! I’m sorry, I had something on my mind. I will definitely be giving you the third degree in about twenty minutes, so get ready. Time me!”

Thea chuckled. “You got it, boss.” The girl loved to call her boss, mostly because it made Oliver make the most interesting expressions. He’d been a bit disgruntled at Thea wanting to work at Smoak Enterprises and not Queen Consolidated but he hadn’t said anything about it. Felicity knew he wanted desperately to support her new business, even if that meant giving up his baby sister to work for the competition. 

Felicity checked the time. The three minutes were up. Her heart settled somewhere around her stomach as she got up and went into the washroom. The test sat on the counter and she approached it like it was a faulty jack in the box. 

She could see the lettering before she’d even picked the test up. The little grey window read: “PREGNANT” in bold lettering. Her breath left her in a whoosh and she laughed, a little hysterically. Tears sprang to her eyes. 

This was going to change _everything_. 

***

Oliver greeted Felicity as she stepped off the elevator at his penthouse later that night. He’d asked her to come over for dinner tonight several days ago, claiming he wanted to cook for her. It wasn’t the first time since they’d been dating, but as Felicity stepped into his apartment, she saw that this was no normal dinner he’d been planning. There were candles out and lit on his dining table. Wine was out and resting next to their plates. Steaming dishes awaited them. 

Felicity’s nerves were at an all time high but she tried to hide them as she smiled at Oliver and let him kiss her. She relaxed a little, feeling his arms around her, kissing him back. His touch could always set her at ease. She tried to focus on that… not on what his reaction might be when she told him her news. 

The other two pregnancy tests had come up positive as well. Those times, Felicity had watched the results develop and the word “PREGNANT” had come up in the window within seconds, not even needing the full three minutes. To say her focus had been shot for the entire rest of the day would be putting it mildly. About all she could do was listen to Thea tell her about her date with Roy, the guy from Verdant.But even that couldn’t distract her for long. 

“This looks amazing,” Felicity said as Oliver led her to the table. “What did you make?”

“All your favorites,” Oliver said, a twinkle in his eye. He pulled out her chair and she sat and then he took the spot across from her. 

He explained what ever dish was as he served her up and he had indeed made all of her favorites. Her favorite salad, her favorite pasta, her favorite meat dish… even her favorite vegetables. And it all tasted _divine_. 

Felicity turned down the wine, obviously, when he went to pour some in her glass. But he didn’t seem to question it much as he fetched her a glass of ice water instead. He seemed excited and she knew he was focused on making this dinner special for her, thought she couldn’t imagine why. It wasn’t a special day, not an anniversary or anything. 

“I still can’t believe what an amazing cook you are,” she said before taking another bite of the shrimp scampi with linguine noodles. 

Oliver shrugged as he dished himself up some more vegetables. “I had a lot of practice while raising Thea,” he explained. “Raisa was very patient with me, showing me the kitchen and how to make things. Like sauces. Sauces can be really difficult, depending on the ingredients.”

“I think it’s adorable that you learned to cook for your sister,” Felicity said, feeling the emotion well up in her chest. He was such a good provider. 

The conversation veered onto other topics but Felicity couldn’t deny how distracted she was. Every time she opened her mouth to tell him about the tests she’d taken, she’d lose her nerve. Thankfully, Oliver hadn’t noticed so much. In fact, if anything, he seemed a bit distracted as well. 

Eventually, Felicity started to get a little worried.“What’s going on, Oliver?” she asked as he jumped up to retrieve their desserts. His leg had been bouncing as he sat across from her, his nervousness and anticipation apparent. 

“I’m not doing such a great job of keeping cool, am I?” he asked from the kitchen. Felicity didn’t turn to face him but she smiled at the thought of her smooth, billionaire boyfriend being awkward and unsure around her. 

“I have to admit I’m curious as to why. What’s all this for? Is it a special occasion?”

“I’m rather hoping it will be,” Oliver admitted as he returned to the table, balancing a small tray in one hand. On the tray were two ramekins, overflowing with chocolate soufflé and whipped cream. 

“Oh, wow,” she breathed as he set one of the decadent desserts in front of her before resuming his seat across from her with his own treat in front of him. “Oliver… I can’t believe you made a soufflé!”

“Raisa taught me how. They’re very fiddly but I thought you’d appreciate it,” he said with a smile. 

“Uhm, yes!” She lifted her spoon and dove right in to the whipped cream. She gathered a great deal of the sugary confection before lifting it to her lips but then something caught her attention. 

There was a glint inside the whipped cream. Furrowing her brow, she lifted a finger to push at it, finding it was a hard but small object. Felicity glanced at Oliver, about to question him but found him watching her with the most curious expression on his face. 

That’s when her heart leapt into her throat. Finally, she understood what was happening here. She picked the object out of the whipped cream. Oliver was at her side in a moment, taking it from her and dunking it in his own water class to clear the cream off. Felicity watched, speechless as he dried the sparkling ring on shirt sleeve. He knelt down beside her and held it up. 

The candlelight caught the facets of the enormous diamond, dazzling her eyes. It was a gorgeous ring and didn’t look like any ring she’d seen before, as thought it was an antique. The giant diamond at the enter gleamed brightly from the platinum setting. 

“I am so grateful for you. Before you, I was wandering around in the dark alone, living out a half life. You came along and you shone a light into that darkness. You’re the one who lights my way and the only one I want by my side as I face the rest of what life has in store for me. Felicity Smoak, would you make me the happiest man on the face of the earth?” 

His smile was enormous, taking up his entire face and Felicity laughed out of pure surprise and joy. For one wild second she wondered if he knew she was pregnant and if that was why he was proposing. But then she remembered he’d been talking about this dinner for days now and she’d only found out her state that morning. 

These thoughts were running through her head and she almost didn’t notice Oliver’s smile starting to fall. Frack! She hadn’t answered him yet! 

Felicity reached for his face, cupping his scruffy jaw in her hands. Tears were now filling her eyes but she was smiling so widely she thought she might break her face. “Oh, Oliver,” she said. “You brilliant, beautiful, sweet man… I can’t wait to answer you but before I do, I have something I have to tell you.”

Oliver very clearly braced himself, moving back on his heels and pulling his face from her hands. He was still smiling, but not as widely as before and he looked a little nervous. “What is it?”

“I have some news for you. I don’t think it’ll change your answer but… I need you to know before we go forward,” she said, realizing that she was gearing up for an epic babble. She swallowed down a torrent of words and decided the best course of action was just to blurt it out. So she did. “I’m pregnant.” 

Oliver’s eyes widened and his mouth fell slack. He stared at her, unmoving, and Felicity started to get even more nervous. In all her imaginings all day, she’d never considered the “non-reaction.” She’d expected either joy or upset. What the hell was this, though? 

“Oliver?” she prompted, her voice small. 

His eyes looked down at where he was still holding the ring. “I’m going to need to sell my penthouse,” he murmured to himself. “Find a house in the suburbs, maybe. A real house. With a yard. There’s always the mansion but…”

“Oliver?” she asked again, her voice a little stronger. 

He looked up and his eyes were still wide but she saw something there that made he heart skip a beat. Dawning delight. He held up the ring again. 

“Felicity Smoak, would you please marry me?” 

His eyes were twinkling again and she felt something tight inside her chest loosen. 

“I don’t want our child to be borne out of wedlock, but that’s not why I’m asking you. I’ve wanted to marry you for months. Ever since you walked into my office six months ago, wearing that sexy power suit and letting me know how you felt. I’ve held myself back for so long, telling myself it wasn’t time yet. I wanted to move in together and you were so resistant to that that I really worried you wouldn’t want to get married but I knew I had to ask. I had this ring brought up from the family vault for you five months ago and I’ve kept it in my drawer ever since because I knew one day I would be offering it to you,” he said. “Please, marry me.”

Felicity couldn’t speak with the tears choking her so she launched forwards instead, throwing her arms around his neck. Then she kissed him. Hard little demanding kisses all over his face and mouth before she finally settled in to taste his lips and twine her tongue with his. He held her in his arms, moving them so he sat with her on his lap. 

Finally, they broke apart. “Is that a yes?” he asked. 

“Yes, it’s a yes. Oh, Oliver.”

He slipped the ring on her finger and she gazed at it, admiring the sparkle before looking back up at him and kissing him again. Simply because she couldn’t not kiss him. 

Then, she had to ask. “Is this all a ploy to get me to finally move in with you?” 

He knew she was teasing but he still pinched her rear anyhow, making her jump and squeal. “If you think I’m letting you go now… you’re carrying my baby and wearing my ring. Damn right we’re living together,”he growled. 

“I really ought to fight against such caveman behavior,” she said archly. But then she melted against him. “But I don’t want to be without you right now either. I can’t imagine anything better than waking up with you every single morning for the rest of our lives.”

Oliver kissed her, his thumbs stroking her cheeks and jaw. He nuzzled her nose with his before drawing back just far enough to meet her eyes with his. “You have no idea how happy I am to hear you say that.”

Felicity pecked a quick kiss on the tip of his nose. “I want to do every step of this journey with you,” she admitted. “And yes, the mansion would be just fine.”

***

_Eight months later…_

“That was such a good movie,” Felicity said, dabbing at her eyes with a tissue from her purse.

Oliver smiled and shook his head. “Felicity, it wasn’t even a sad ending.”

“I know, but it was happy. And that’s why I’m crying, I’m so happy that they’re so happy!” She laughed at his bewildered expression in the still-dim theater. Around them, theater patrons were getting up and exiting.

“Those pregnancy hormones are something else,” he remarked with another shake of his head. He gathered up the empty popcorn container and stood up, holding out a hand to help her to her feet.

Felicity took it gratefully, letting him pull her out of the luxury reclining theater seat. The plush features were great for her sore back and swollen legs, but not the easiest to get herself up out of after sitting still for over two hours.

Her due date was yesterday and Felicity was feeling more than a little anxious and annoyed about the whole. Being pregnant had lost it’s cache about a month ago and at this point, she just wanted this baby born so she could get her body back. Thea had suggested they go on a “last date” before the baby was born, mostly to distract Felicity in hopes that her being distracted might relax her and bring on labor naturally.

At this point, Felicity was willing to try anything. She’d tried sex (lots of it, actually), walking, spicy foods… nothing else had worked. And hey, at least she was getting some entertainment out of this so it wasn’t all for naught. The movie had been better than she’d expected it to be and even Oliver had seemed to enjoy it (even though he tended to prefer the bloodier, more action-packed movies).

Felicity had just gained her feet and felt mostly balanced when it happened.

It felt like something within her _burst_ … and she had a split second to think she should try to hold it in before it became glaringly apparent that there was no way that she _could_. The leggings she wore (one of the only garments that still fit her) were soaked in an instant and she felt it wetting her thighs, running down her legs. Felicity froze in her tracks.

Oliver tugged on her hand and looked at her, curiously. “Felicity? What’s wrong?”

She looked up at him, her eyes wide. “I think… my water just broke.”

The look on his face would have been hilarious if Felicity wasn’t currently suffering the most humiliating event of her entire life. Because her pants were _soaked_ and there was no way she could walk out of here without anyone seeing that.

“Your water?” he repeated, his voice strange and strangled. “Does that… that… are you…?”

Oliver was beginning to gape at her, his mouth opening and closing and she might have just rolled her eyes and filled in the blanks for him but right then, a sharp pain twisted her insides, making her gasp and bend over… as much as she could with a basketball lodged in her midsection.

“Felicity!” her husband cried and he was at her side in an instant, an arm around her.

“I-I’m fine,” she said, gritting her teeth. “Just… can we go now?”

“Yes! Yes, let’s go,” he said.

With his help, Felicity walked down the stairs inside the theater and through the crowded lobby. When another pain struck her, she found she cared less about her sodden leggings and more about getting to the hospital as soon as possible. Once they were out in the lobby, Felicity could see that Oliver’s pallor was nearly ashen and he was absolutely focused on bringing her out to the car.

“Where’s your bag?” he asked as he ushered her across the parking lot towards where his Cayenne was parked.

“In the back, remember? You insisted on being the one to carry it out the other day,” she said, a little breathless.

Another pain hit as they reached the car and Oliver’s eyes went huge. “That’s less than two minutes since the last one,” he said, his voice tight.

“I know,” she gasped, her palm on her belly and wincing through the pain. She let him maneuver her into the passenger seat. “I’m going to get your leather seats wet,” she mentioned just before he could close the door.

“Don’t worry about it, they’ll come clean. I’m absolutely not worried about that right now,” he said, snapping the door closed and racing around the car to the driver’s side.

As he pealed out of the parking lot, he used the handsfree controls to dial up Felicity’s obstetrician and let her know that her patient was in labor. Felicity just held onto the door handle and the arm rest and tried not to moan too loudly through the contractions. Contractions that were growing closer and closer, not to mention stronger.

“Hold on, honey, we’re almost there,” Oliver said, glancing over at her.

Felicity didn’t respond, but focused on her breathing instead. She was so glad that Oliver was handling all of this so competently. And she was glad she’d let him talk her into getting married before the baby was born. She’d thought for a hot minute that she wanted to wait until after, until she had her pre-baby body back and could wear a svelte dress down the aisle. But Oliver had wanted to be married before welcoming their child into the world so badly and eventually it was Thea who interceded on his behalf. Which was beginning to be a bit of a theme of their relationship.

Felicity had finally relented and then was glad she’d done so. Their wedding was a quiet, intimate affair in the gardens at the Queen mansion. The sun was shining and she’d had flowers in her hair. Her belly had been at what she called the “cute phase” at the time, a gentle swelling curve that didn’t overtake the entire rest of her body like it was doing now. Her energy had been up, morning sickness was a thing of the past and, most of all, she’d been completely horny. Which meant that as soon as their friends and family had left the reception, Felicity had jumped Oliver and they’d gone at it like rabbits the whole rest of the night.

She’d even been able to enjoy their honeymoon in Aruba, flaunting her baby bump in a bikini on the beach and not caring one bit who saw or what they thought. Oliver thought she looked sexy as hell like that so that was all that mattered. It’d been a marvelous time and she was so glad she had those memories to look back on. And she was even more glad that they could go into this new life transition together, married and secure.

Oliver steered his SUV into the hospital parking lot, headed right towards the main entrance. The vehicle jostled over speed-bumps, causing Felicity to cry out with each bump.

“Why— oof!— are there speed— oof!— bumps in a hospital— ow!— parking lot??” she cried.

“I don’t know,” Oliver said, his voice a growl. “I’m so sorry, honey. We’re just about there, only one more.”

Felicity had to bite back a low moan as they went over one more speed-bump but a moment later Oliver was pulling the car up to the curb. Handily enough, there was a valet booth there and Oliver was able to pass off the keys to an attendant after he got her and her packed bag out of the car.

They were quickly ushered to a room on the maternity ward and from there, things escalated quickly. Felicity changed out of her clothes and into a hospital gown and the nurses started to swarm, her doctor showed up to check her progress and the contractions started to pile up on one another. Through it all, Oliver stood at her bedside and held her hand, coaching her through the pain and suffering it along with her. She knew she couldn’t have done this without him there, lending her his strength and reminding her that this was something they were doing together. This was their family.

Adaline Moira Queen was born at 8:32pm. Her lusty cry filled the room and Felicity burst into relieved tears at the sight of her newborn daughter. Oliver held her in his arms, bundled in a hospital blanket and Felicity cried fresh tears over the look of awe on his face as he looked upon their daughter.

“Felicity… she’s _perfect_ ,” he breathed.

“I know,” she said, wiping her eyes as the hospital staff cleaned up and left the room, leaving the new family to get acquainted. “We made that.”

“We did,” he agreed.

Little Ada snuffled in his arms, her arms breaking from the blankets and waving around, her little lips smacking hungrily. After a moment, she let out a frustrated cry, causing both of them to chuckle.

“Better give her to me,” Felicity said, her arms already extended. “No time like the present to figure out this breastfeeding thing.”

Oliver settled the squirming bundle in her arms and pulled up a chair to sit right next to them, watching with an enraptured expression as Felicity drew the side of her hospital gown down and guided the rooting baby towards her breast.

After a few failed attempts, Ada finally latched on and began suckling away. Felicity lifted her eyes and met Oliver’s. His were moist as he beamed at them. She extended her free hand towards him and he took it, kissing her knuckles softly.

“I’m so proud of you,” he said, his voice soft. “You did amazing.”

“Thank you for cheering me on,” she said. “I can’t believe we made it here.”

“Me either. Considering where we started and all the mistakes I made… I’m so glad you gave me another chance.”

“I’m pretty glad you pursued me in the first place,” Felicity admitted. “Mistakes and all. It all led us here, to this moment.”

“Yes, it did,” he agreed. He pushed up to press a kiss to her lips. “I couldn’t imagine sharing it with anyone else.”

Felicity knew just how he felt. This wasn’t where she’d envisioned her life ending up but now that she was here, living her happily ever after, she was so very grateful that it had. For the first time ever, she finally had everything she ever wanted; a thriving company, a loving husband, a beautiful daughter and friends and family to support her. Her heart was _full_.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well.... that's it! Do you like it? Thank you all so much for joining me, for commenting. Have a safe and happy holiday.

**Author's Note:**

> Kudos are appreciated, comments are adored. <3
> 
> Catch me on [tumblr](http://callistawolf.tumblr.com) or on [twitter](http://twitter.com/callistawolf)!


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